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Passive smoking induces pediatric asthma by affecting the balance of Treg/Th17 cells

Wei Jing1, Wei Wang2, Qingbin Liu2

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, The Affiliated Hospital of Changchun University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 130021, Changchun, China. jingwei20166@126.com.

Pediatric Research
|January 24, 2019
PubMed

Insights

Passive smoking worsens childhood asthma severity by disrupting the balance of T-regulatory (Treg) and T-helper type 17 (Th17) cells. This study quantifies the molecular mechanisms linking environmental tobacco smoke exposure to pediatric asthma.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Pulmonology
  • Immunology
  • Environmental Health

Background:

  • Childhood asthma is a significant public health concern.
  • Environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure is a known risk factor for respiratory diseases.
  • The specific molecular pathways linking passive smoking to asthma severity require further elucidation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the impact of passive smoking on pediatric asthma severity.
  • To explore the underlying molecular mechanisms, focusing on T-regulatory (Treg) and T-helper type 17 (Th17) cell balance.
  • To correlate environmental tobacco smoke exposure levels with asthma severity markers.

Main Methods:

  • 378 children with asthma were categorized by severity (Grades I-IV).
  • Environmental tobacco smoke exposure was assessed using urinary cotinine levels.
  • Serum immunoglobulin E (IgE), cytokine levels, and peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) percentages of Treg and Th17 cells were quantified.
  • Treg- and Th17-associated transcription factors were measured.

Main Results:

  • Higher levels of environmental tobacco smoke exposure and serum IgE correlated with increased asthma severity.
  • Passive smoking was associated with decreased levels of FoxP3 and TGF-β (Treg markers).
  • Passive smoking increased levels of IL-17A and IL-23 (Th17 markers), significantly reducing the Treg/Th17 cell ratio.

Conclusions:

  • Passive smoking is closely linked to increased childhood asthma severity.
  • The mechanism involves an imbalance in Treg/Th17 cell populations, favoring a pro-inflammatory state.
  • This study highlights the critical role of environmental tobacco smoke in pediatric asthma pathogenesis.
Abstract

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