[Mononuclear cell activation in status asthmaticus]

Evidence was provided by the authors, that the activity of circulating mononuclear cells is increased in status asthmaticus. An increased spontaneous secretion of chemotactic cytokin was found into the culture medium. There was no further increase in neutrophil chemotactic activity after 24 hours. In all patients a reduction was observed in the amount of neutrophil chemotactic activity after one week therapy, which is probably due to steroid treatment. No eosinophil chemotactic activity could be detected in the mononuclear cell supernatant derived from patients with acute severe asthma. The chemotactic activity was measured using a 48-well microchemotactic chamber. This mononuclear cell derived cytokin may play a role in genesis of asthmatic bronchial inflammation and provides further evidence that mononuclear cell activation is a feature of status asthmaticus.