The effects of asthmatic mononuclear cell cultured supernatant on human eosinophils-chemiluminescence response,...

We investigated the contributing effect of mononuclear cell (MNC) on granulocyte function in asthmatics. MNC, obtained from either normal subjects or asthmatics, were cultured with or without phytohaemagglutinin. The supernatants were tested on granulocyte luminol-dependent chemiluminescence (CL) response. The optimal incubation time was 30 min for neutrophils and 90 min for eosinophils. There was a dose-dependent enhancement of CL response by MNC supernatant on both neutrophils and eosinophils. When comparing the activities of MNC supernatants between asthmatics and normal, there was a significant enhancement of eosinophil CL response by MNC supernatants of asthmatics (70 +/- 24% from 29 +/- 28%, P = 0.0043). However, the degree of enhancement in neutrophil CL response was similar between the MNC supernatants of asthmatics and normal subjects. MNC supernatant not only enhanced eosinophil CL response, but also induced eosinophil hypodensity change (12 +/- 4% in RPMI, 26 +/- 10% in MNC supernatant), and enhanced complement receptor CR3 expression (102.4 +/- 25.5 in PRMI, 111.7 +/- 17.7 in MNC supernatant). These results provide evidence that MNC activation might contribute to the eosinophil activation in asthmatics.