T-CELLS NUMBER AND FUNCTION IN YOUNG ASTHMATIC-CHILDREN DURING 2 YEARS TREATMENT WITH INHALED BUDESONIDE

Corticosteroids are known to affect the number and function of circula ting lymphocytes in humans. The effect of 2 years administration of in haled budesonide (200 mu g/day) on the number and function of B and T lymphocytes and T cell subsets was evaluated in 16 young children with severe asthma. The number of T and B cells and T suppressor/cytotoxic cells (CD8 T cell) and T helper/inducer cells (CD4 T cell) before the rapy was found to be comparable to the number of cells observed in the healthy control group. Two years administration of inhaled budesonide did not significantly alter the percentage and absolute number of all these cells. The functional activity of T lymphocytes was evaluated b y the ''local xenogeneic graft versus host reaction'' (GVHR). A positi ve (normal) GVHR was observed in only 5 of the 16 children (31%) in th e budesonide group before therapy, compared to 15 of 16 children (94%) in the healthy control group. During the 2 years treatment with inhal ed budesonide, the percentage of patients having positive GVHR increas ed from 31% before therapy to 69% and 77% after 1 and 2 years of thera py (P=0.05 and 0.02), respectively. The data not alter the number of B and T lymphocytes and T cell subsets. However, it was associated with improvement in the GVHR function of T cells.