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Published on: December 17, 2017
[Roles of IL-4, IL-5 and IgE in childhood cough variant asthma]
Man-Zhi Wang1, Qing-Nan He, Hong-Xia Yuan
1Department of Pediatrics, Changsha Central Hospital, Changsha 410004, China.
Insights
Interleukin-4 (IL-4), Interleukin-5 (IL-5), and immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels are elevated in acute childhood cough variant asthma (CVA). These biomarkers may aid in CVA diagnosis and indicate a shared pathogenesis with bronchial asthma.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Pediatric Pulmonology
- Allergy Research
Context:
- Childhood cough variant asthma (CVA) is a common respiratory condition.
- Understanding the immunological underpinnings of CVA is crucial for effective diagnosis and management.
- Previous research has implicated various inflammatory mediators in asthma, but specific roles in CVA require further elucidation.
Purpose:
- To investigate the roles of Interleukin-4 (IL-4), Interleukin-5 (IL-5), and immunoglobulin E (IgE) in the pathogenesis of childhood cough variant asthma (CVA).
- To compare the levels of these biomarkers in children with acute CVA, convalescent CVA, acute bronchial asthma, and healthy controls.
Summary:
- Elevated levels of peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) IL-4 and IL-5, along with serum IgE, were observed in children during the acute stage of CVA compared to convalescent stages and healthy controls.
- Serum IgE levels were significantly higher in both acute and convalescent CVA stages than in healthy children.
- No significant differences in IL-4, IL-5, and IgE levels were found between children with acute CVA and those with acute bronchial asthma.
Impact:
- Combined measurement of PBMC IL-4, IL-5, and serum IgE may serve as a valuable tool for diagnosing CVA and evaluating treatment outcomes.
- The findings suggest that IL-4 and IL-5 play a significant role in the inflammatory processes underlying CVA.
- The similar biomarker profiles between acute CVA and acute bronchial asthma suggest a shared underlying pathogenesis, potentially informing therapeutic strategies.
Objective:
To study the roles of IL-4, IL-5 and IgE in childhood cough variant asthma (CVA).
Methods:
The IL-4 and IL-5 levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) and the serum IgE levels were determined using ELISA in children with CVA in the acute stage (n=21) and in the convalesce stage (n=9). The samples from 30 children with acute bronchial asthma and from 30 healthy children were used as controls.
Results:
The levels of PBMC IL-4 (91.57 +/- 12.19 ng/L) and IL-5 (13.28 +/- 0.31 ng/mL) in children with CVA in the acute stage were significantly higher than those in the convalesce stage (74.68 +/- 11.54 ng/L, 6.53 +/- 0.28 ng/mL) and also higher than those in the healthy controls (70.32 +/- 18.16 ng/L, 5.29 +/- 0.36 ng/mL) (P < 0.01). The levels of serum IgE in children with CVA in the acute stage (279.6 +/- 41.3 KU /L) were strikingly higher than those in the convalesce stage (153.8 +/- 37.5 KU/L) (P < 0.01). The levels of serum IgE in children with CVA either in the acute stage or in the convalesce stage were significantly higher than those in healthy controls (90.6 +/- 44.8 KU /L) (P < 0.01). There were no significant differences in the levels of IL-4, IL-5 and IgE between children with acute CVA and acute asthma.
Conclusions:
A combined determination of PBMC IL-4 and IL-5 and serum IgE may be valuable for the diagnosis and the outcome evaluation of CVA. IL-4 and IL-5 may play a role in the pathogenesis of CVA. It is speculated that CVA may have similar pathogenesis to bronchial asthma since acute CVA patients have similar IL-4, IL-5 and IgE levels to children with acute bronchial asthma.
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