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Published on: August 7, 2017
Leukocytes from wheezing infants release lower amounts of IL-12 and IFN-γ compared to non-wheezing infants
Angela Falcai1, Paulo Vítor Soeiro Pereira, Christina Arslanian Kubo
1Department of Immunology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo-SP, Brazil.
Insights
Early life endotoxin exposure did not predict wheezing in infants. However, recurrent wheezing infants with higher endotoxin exposure showed reduced IL-12 and IFN-γ cytokine production.
Area of Science:
- Environmental health
- Immunology
- Pediatric allergy
Background:
- Early life environmental exposures, including endotoxin, are critical in immune system development.
- Sensitization to aeroallergens and subsequent allergic diseases like asthma are significant concerns in high-risk infants.
- Understanding the interplay between endotoxin, immune responses, and wheezing phenotypes is crucial for prevention strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between early-life environmental endotoxin exposure and the development of wheezing.
- To examine aeroallergen sensitization, cytokine production by leukocytes, and wheezing phenotypes in a high-risk infant cohort.
- To determine if endotoxin exposure influences immune responses in infants who develop recurrent wheezing.
Main Methods:
- Prospective cohort study of 84 high-risk infants from birth to 30 months.
- Assessed house dust endotoxin levels in the first 6 months of life.
- Evaluated wheezing, skin prick tests, and cytokine release (IL-12, IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-10, IL-4, IL-5, IL17) from LPS-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) at 30 months.
Main Results:
- No association found between early endotoxin exposure and wheezing phenotype development.
- Recurrent wheezing (RW) infants experienced a higher incidence of respiratory infections.
- PBMC from RW infants exposed to higher endotoxin levels ( > 50 EU/mg) produced less IL-12p70 and IFN-γ compared to non-RW infants.
- Production of TNF-α, IL-10, IL-4, IL-5, and IL17 was similar between RW and non-RW groups regardless of endotoxin exposure.
Conclusions:
- Early-life endotoxin exposure levels were similar in recurrent wheezing (RW) and non-RW infants.
- RW infants exposed to higher endotoxin levels showed significantly reduced IL-12 and IFN-γ production from LPS-stimulated PBMC.
- These findings suggest a potential immunomodulatory role of endotoxin in the development of wheezing phenotypes, specifically affecting Th1-type responses.
Objective:
This study investigated environmental endotoxin exposure during early life, sensitization to aeroallergens, the production of cytokines by LPS-stimulated leukocytes, and the development of a wheezing phenotype in a prospective cohort of infants with high risk of developing allergic diseases.
Materials And Methods:
Eighty-four infants were followed from birth until 30 months of age. We assessed endotoxin concentration in house dust of their homes during the first 6 months of life. At age 30 months they were clinically evaluated to determine the development of wheezing and other clinical events, were skin prick tested, and had blood samples collected for the evaluation of cytokine release by LPS-stimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC).
Results:
The level of endotoxin exposure during early life was not associated with development of a wheezing phenotype. On the other hand a higher incidence of respiratory infections occurred among recurrent wheezing (RW) infants. PBMC from RW children exposed to higher levels of environmental endotoxin (above 50 EU/mg) released less Interleukin (IL)-12p70 and IFN-γ compared to the non-RW group. TNF-α, IL-10, IL-4, IL-5, and IL17 production by LPS-stimulated PBMC from RW and non-RW children was equivalent in both groups of environmental endotoxin exposure.
Conclusion:
In this prospective cohort of infants with high risk of developing allergic diseases we observed that RW and non-RW children were exposed to similar levels of endotoxin early in life. LPS-stimulated PBMC from RW infants exposed to higher levels of endotoxin released significantly less IL-12 and IFN-γ compared to non-RW infants.
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