Correlation of cutaneous sensitivity and cytokine response in children with asthma

Food allergy occurs in a significant portion of pediatric asthma. Various cells and their mediators/cytokines play a pivotal role in orchestrating the airway inflammatory response in asthma.

To study the cutaneous hypersensitivity, Th1, Th2, and Th17 response of pediatric population with asthma and genetic predisposition to atopy, by determining total immunoglobulin E (IgE) level in response to various food allergens.

Fifty asthmatic children with a history of worsening symptoms by various food allergens (study group) and twenty healthy children (control group) were included. Food allergy was assessed through skin prick test (SPT) of various food allergens. Total serum IgE level was measured by sandwich ELISA, and T-cell (Th1, Th2, and Th17)-dependent cytokines were measured by flow cytometry.

All 50 asthmatic children in the study group showed SPT positivity against various food allergens (rice = 17; banana, fish and groundnut = 10; wheat = 9; milk and orange = 7; egg = 6; and mango = 4). The average total IgE level in the study group was 316.8 ± 189.8 IU/mL. A significant positive correlation of total IgE with interleukin 17 (IL-17) (r = 0.796; P < 0.0001), IL-13 (r = 0.383; P = 0.01), and IL-4 (r = 0.263; P = 0.043) level was noted. A significant negative correlation of total IgE was noted with interferon gamma (r = -0.5823; P < 0.0001) and IL-10 (r = -0.4474; P < 0.001) level and the duration of breastfeeding (r = -0.31, P = 0.03).

The present study found a positive correlation between total serum IgE level and Th2, Th17 cytokines in a pediatric population with asthma. A significant negative correlation was found between the duration of breastfeeding and the cytokines.