Interleukin 1 production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells of children with bronchial asthma in remission

To analyse the change of the immunological response in the remission state of children with bronchial asthma, we studied the interleukin 1 (IL-1) production of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) obtained from children with bronchial asthma sensitized by mite antigen. After PBMC were cultured for 24 hours with Dermatophagoides farinae (Df) or lipopolysaccharide (LPS), the PBMC-derived culture supernatant was estimated for IL-1 alpha and beta by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). PBMC from some of subjects with active asthma produced IL-1 alpha and beta without any stimulation, but not those from controls or subjects in remission. IL-1 alpha and beta production of PBMC stimulated with Df was observed in all three groups, but IL-1 produced by subjects with active asthma was higher than that produced by subjects in the other two groups. Moreover, when PBMC were incubated with LPS, the secretion of both IL-1 alpha and beta was enhanced. PBMC from patients with active asthma produced both IL-1 alpha and beta in amounts comparable to those produced by PBMC from control subjects, but IL-1 production of PBMC from patients in remission was lower than in the other two groups. IL-1 beta production was about ten times as much as IL-1 alpha. Df-induced IL-1 production of PBMC from asthmatic patients sensitized by mite antigen, which was increased in the active state, was down-regulated in the remission state. Moreover, nonspecific stimuli such as LPS may induce the suppressive factors which down-regulate IL-1 production.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)