IMMUNOREACTIVITY FOR INTERLEUKIN-3 AND INTERLEUKIN-5 AND GRANULOCYTE-MACROPHAGE COLONY-STIMULATING FACTOR OF INTESTINAL-MUCOSA IN BRONCHIAL-ASTHMA

T lymphocytes and eosinophils are important components of the inflamma tory cell infiltrate in bronchial mucosa in asthma. Because activated lymphocytes migrate through the thoracic duct and the general circulat ion to remote glandular and mucosal sites, we initiated this study to evaluate pathological abnormalities and immunoreactivity for interleuk in (IL) 3, IL-5, and granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) of intestinal mucosa in bronchial asthma. 15 asthmatic patien ts, 8 nonasthmatic patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease , 6 atopic nonasthmatic healthy controls, and 6 nonatopic healthy cont rols were studied. Duodenal biopsies were performed by endoscopy. A si gnificantly increased number of intraepithelial lymphocytes and eosino phils and a significant accumulation of mononuclear cells (lymphocytes and mast cells) and eosinophils in the lamina propria were detected i n asthmatics and atopic controls. Immunostaining with antibodies direc ted against IL-3, IL-5, and GM-CSF was positive in asthmatics and atop ic controls, whereas no staining was observed in nonatopic controls an d chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Combined ultrastructural stud y and immunogold labeling demonstrated that IL-3, IL-5, and GM-CSF wer e localized in eosinophils and mast cells. Although devoid of gastroin testinal symptoms, asthmatics and asymptomatic atopics had duodenal pa thological abnormalities mimicking those observed in the bronchial muc osa in asthma, suggesting that the whole mucosal immune system is invo lved in bronchial asthma.