PULMONARY-FUNCTION, ACTIVATED T-CELLS, PERIPHERAL-BLOOD EOSINOPHILIA,AND SERUM ACTIVITY FOR EOSINOPHIL SURVIVAL IN-VITRO - A LONGITUDINAL-STUDY IN BRONCHIAL-ASTHMA

A close correlation among the number of activated, peripheral blood T helper cells, eosinophilia, and airflow obstruction has been reported in patients with asthma. To test these cross-sectional data we perform ed a prospective, longitudinal study investigating the relationships a mong T-cell activation in peripheral blood, eosinophilia, forced expir atory volume in 1 second (FEV(1)) and serum activity toward eosinophil survival in 20 individuals with asthma over a period of 21 days after admission to a clinic located 1560 m above sea level. During the stud y, maintenance treatment with inhaled beta(2)-agonists and theophyllin e was unchanged. Five patients had also been faking inhaled corticoste roids, and this was also not changed during the study period According to the changes in pulmonary function observed at the end of the study patients were divided into three groups: twelve patients whose pulmon ary function improved by more than 10% from baseline (group I), four p atients whose pulmonary function deteriorated by more than 10% from ba seline necessitating therapeutic intervention (group II), and four pat ients with no change in FEV(1) (<10% from baseline) (group III). Activ ation of T cells as determined by interleukin-2 receptor expression, n umber of eosinophils, and serum activity toward eosinophil survival in vitro declined in group I; whereas FEV(1) increased. The decrease in FEV(1) in group II was associated with an increase in interleukin-2 re ceptor-positive T cells, number of eosinophils, and serum activity. In group III FEV(1) interleukin-2 receptor expression on T cells, the nu mber of peripheral blood eosinophils, and the measured serum activity for eosinophil survival in vitro did not change significantly from bas eline. With the exception of FEV(1) and eosinophil numbers, which came close to reaching statistically significant correlations with the mea sured serum activity for eosinophils, the percent changes from baselin e to the end of the study of all other parameters were closely correla ted with correlation coefficients between 0.76 and 0.54. We conclude t hat a close correlation does exist between changes in T-cell activatio n, numbers of eosinophils, serum activity toward eosinophil survival i n vitro, and the degree of airflow obstruction in patients with asthma , observed longitudinally, suggesting that these parameters are interr elated.