INFLUENCE OF HYPOSENSITIZATION ON SOLUBLE INTERLEUKIN-2 RECEPTOR, EOSINOPHIL CATIONIC PROTEIN, IN-VITRO LYMPHOCYTE-PROLIFERATION, IN-VITRO LYMPHOCYTE ADHESION, AND LYMPHOCYTE MEMBRANE MARKERS IN CHILDHOOD ASTHMA

Soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R), eosinophil cationic protein ( ECP), the lymphoproliferative response to house-dust mite (HDM), adhes ion to human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC), and lymphocyte membrane markers were studied in three groups of children: healthy chi ldren, asthmatic children without hyposensitization (HS), and asthmati c children with HS. HS was associated with significantly lower numbers of peripheral blood eosinophils (PBE) and lower sIL-2R serum levels a nd with a tendency to lower ECP serum levels and lymphoproliferative r esponse to HDM. There were no changes in the T-lymphocyte phenotypic m arkers CD4 and CD8 among the three groups. The interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R, CD25) on HDM-stimulated T lymphocytes increased over unstimula ted T lymphocytes in the three groups. The CD25 expression was higher on HDM-stimulated lymphocytes in both asthmatic groups than in healthy children. Adhesion of lymphocytes on HUVEC increased significantly af ter HDM stimulation in asthmatic children without HS, whereas no chang e was observed in the two other groups. However, there was no change i n the expression of adhesion molecules CD29 and CD11a on lymphocytes i n either of the groups. This study provides further evidence that HS c an modify lymphocyte and eosinophil functions.