Rackemann (1940) introduced the term 'Intrinsic' asthma to described individuals who fulfill most diagnostic criteria for asthma, but have neither a detectable skin test reactivity to common allergens nor an increased total or specific IgE, despite a raised eosinophil count in the blood and/or sputum. In order to understand whether there is any different pattern of T-cell response to common allergen (house dust mite, HDM) between atopic and nonatopic asthma, PBMCs from atopic asthma (n=25), non-atopic asthma (n=16), atopic control (n=22) and normal control (n=12) were tested for IFN-r, IL-4, IL-12, IL-13 production after allergen (Der p) or PHA stimulation. The results show that 1). Non-stimulated PBMC from both types of asthma produced lower IFN-r as compared to control non-asthmatic group. There is also no difference of IFN-r production stimulated by HDM or PHA. 2). Increased production of IL-4 in atopic groups (with and without asthma) after HDM stimulation. No difference of IL-4 synthesis between non-atopic and normal control. 3). Atopic asthma markedly decreased IL-12 production after HDM stimulation, while it increased in atopic control group. There is no change for non-atopic asthma and normal control. 4). Non-atopic asthma have similar pattern of normal control, while atopic groups have increased production of IL-13 after mite stimulation. Summary: Atopic asthma have typical Th-2 cytokine profile; and Nonatopic asthma can not fully fit to Th1/Th2 cytokine pattern and more like normal control. Atopic control have similar pattern as atopic asthma except at the IL-12 production after stimulated with allergen.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Wang, JY., Hwang, SF., Shieh, C. et al. Different pattern of T-cell activation and cytokines production between atopic and non-atopic asthma 45. Pediatr Res 43 (Suppl 4), 10 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-199804001-00066
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-199804001-00066