[IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13 expression during in vitro immune response to fungal allergens in sensitized subjects]

Determination of T(H)2 citokines profile have arisen interest to understand the pathophysiology of allergic diseases.

To analyze the expression of IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13 during the immune response to allergic fungi in sensitized patients with allergic rhinitis.

Mononuclear cells (Ficoll-paque d = 1.077) were isolated from four patients with allergic rhinitis and positive skin prick test to allergic fungi and subsequently activated with fungal allergic extracts. The supernatants were collected and the levels of IL-4, IL-5 and IL-13 were determined by enzyme-linked immune assay.

The levels of IL-4 in supernatants were higher than IL-5 levels and IL-13 levels (p < 0.05) during the first 72 hours of challenge with fungal allergens in vitro. The expression of above mentioned cytokines was different attending time course response and fungal species in sensitized patients.

IL-4, but not IL-5 and IL-13 either, showed a sustained expression during 72 hours after the challenge to allergic fungi in vitro. IL-4 could be studied as biomarker to estimate the allergenicity to fungi in sensitized patients.