iNKT cells are increased in children with severe therapy-resistant asthma

Background: Invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells play complex functions in the immune system, releasing both Th1 and Th2 cytokines. The role of iNKT cells in human asthma is still controversial and never described in severe therapy-resistant asthma in children. The objective of this work was to analyse iNKT frequency in peripheral blood of children with severe therapy-resistant asthma (STRA), compared to children with milder asthma and healthy controls. Methods: Children with asthma (n = 136) (non-severe and STRA) from a referral centre and healthy controls (n = 40) were recruited. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were isolated, stained with anti-CD3 and anti-iNKT (Vα24Jα18), and analysed through flow cytometry. Atopic status was defined by measuring specific IgE in serum. Airway inflammation was assessed by induced sputum. Results: Children with asthma presented an increased frequency of CD3+iNKT+ cells (median 0.38% IQR 0.18-1.9), compared to healthy controls (median 0.26% IQR 0.10-0.43) (p = 0.025). Children with STRA also showed an increased frequency of iNKT cells (1.5% IQR 1.05-2.73) compared to healthy controls and non-severe asthmatic children (0.35% IQR 0.15-1.6; p = 0.002). The frequency of iNKT cells was not different between atopic and non-atopic children. In addition, iNKT cells were not associated with any inflammatory pattern of induced sputum studied. Conclusion: Our data suggests that iNKT cells play a role in paediatric asthma, which is also associated with the severity of disease, but independent of the atopic status (AU)

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Low dose treatment of mice with bacterial extract (OM-85) for attenuation of experimental atopic asthma in mice - Reply

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Immune response of toddlers with history of prematurity

Background: It is not quite well established how immune responses differ in term and preterm infants beyond the first year of life. This study aimed to evaluate aspects of the innate and adaptive immune responses in a group of preterm infants in comparison with their term peers. Methods: In this cross-sectional study peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were isolated from preterm and term children at age three years. Innate immune response was evaluated by the analysis of TLR receptors expression on CD11c+HLADRhigh cells and inflammatory cytokine production after PBMC stimulation with Toll like receptors (TLR) ligands. Adaptive immune response was evaluated by T cells’ phenotyping and function after stimulation with polyclonal conventional T cell stimulus. Conclusion: We have found that the patterns of innate and adaptive immune responses at 3 years of age were not affected by the fact of the children having being born preterm or at term (AU)

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Bacterial extract (OM-85) with human-equivalent doses does not inhibit the development of asthma in a murine model

BACKGROUND: OM-85 is an immunostimulant bacterial lysate, which has been proven effective in reducing the number of lower airways infections. We investigated the efficacy of the bacterial lysate OM-85 in the primary prevention of a murine model of asthma. METHODS: In the first phase of our study the animals received doses of 0.5ìg, 5ìg and 50ìg of OM-85 through gavage for five days (days −10 to −6 of the protocol), 10 days prior to starting the sensitisation with ovalbumin (OVA), in order to evaluate the results of dose-response protocols. A single dose (5ìg) was then chosen in order to verify in detail the effect of OM-85 on the pulmonary allergic response. Total/differential cells count and cytokine levels (IL-4, IL-5, IL-13 and IFN-ã) from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), OVA-specific IgE levels from serum, lung function and lung histopathological analysis were evaluated. RESULTS: OM-85 did not reduce pulmonary eosinophilic response, regardless of the dose used. In the phase protocol using 5ìg/animal of OM-85, no difference was shown among the groups studied, including total cell and eosinophil counts in BALF, serum OVA-specific IgE, lung histopathologic findings and lung resistance. However, OM-85 decreased IL-5 and IL-13 levels in BALF. CONCLUSIONS: OM-85, administered in early life in mice in human-equivalent doses, does not inhibit the development of allergic pulmonary response in mice

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Prevalence of rhinitis and related-symptoms in schoolchildren from different cities in Brazil

By using the standard written questionnaire (WQ), designed for the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) we determined the prevalence of rhinitis and its related-symptoms, in Brazilian children and adolescents, living in different cities of the country. The WQ was answered by the parents of 11,403 children aged 6-7 years from five Brazilian cities: Porto Alegre (South, N = 2,846), São Paulo (Southeast, N = 3,005) Uberlândia (Southeast, N = 2,991), Itabira (Southeast, N = 1,151) and Recife (Northeast, N = 1,410). The WQ was also applied to 20,587 adolescents (13-14 years old) living in: Porto Alegre (South, N = 3,195), Curitiba (South, N = 3,004), São Paulo (Southeast, N = 3,008), Uberlândia (Southeast, N = 2,998), Itabira (Southeast, N = 2,134), Salvador (Northeast, N = 3,162) and Recife (Northeast, N = 3,086). The mean response rates were 75 % and 95 %, for the 6-7 year-old children and for the adolescents, respectively. The data was transcribed to a database (Epi-Info) and analyzed regarding the answers to questions of rhinitis module. The mean prevalence of rhinitis (affirmative response to question 2) was 26.6 % and 34.2 % in the groups of 6-7 and 13-14 year-old, respectively. Applying the criteria that evaluate the association between nasal and ocular symptoms (affirmative response to question 3) the mean prevalence of allergic rhinitis were 12.8 % for the 6-7 year-old children and 18.0 % for the adolescents. In conclusion, the prevalence of rhinitis and its related symptoms among children and adolescents living in different Brazilian cities was as high as the prevalence observed in other areas of the world (AU)

La prevalencia de rinitis y de sus síntomas en niños y adolescentes brasileños, que viven en diferentes ciudades, fue determinada por el cuestionario escrito (CE), desarrollado por el International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Children (ISAAC). El CE fue respondido por los padres de 11.403 niños con edad entre los 6-7 años, en cinco ciudades brasileñas: Porto Alegre (Sur, N = 2.846), São Paulo (Sudeste, N = 3.005), Uberlândia (Sudeste, N = 2991), Itabira (Sudeste, N = 1.151) e Recife (Nordeste, N = 1.410).En la faja de edad de 13-14 años el CE fue respondido por 20.587 adolescentes que vivían en: Porto Alegre (Sur, N = 3.195), Curitiba (Sur, N = 3.004), São Paulo (Sudeste, N = 3.008), Uberlândia (Sudeste, N = 2.998), Itabira (Sudeste, N = 2.134), Salvador (Nordeste, N = 3.162) e Recife (Nordeste, N = 3.086).La tasa media de respuestas fue un 75 por ciento para los niños menores y un 95 por ciento para los adolescentes. Los datos fueron transcriptos a una base de datos (Epi-info) y el análisis estadístico fue sobre el modulo rinitis del CE ISAAC. La prevalencia media de rinitis (sí a la pregunta 2) fue 26,6 por ciento y 34,2 por ciento en los grupos de 6-7 y 13-14 años respectivamente. Utilizándose el criterio que evalúa la asociación entre síntomas nasales y oculares (sí a la cuestión 3), la prevalencia media de rinitis alérgica fue de un 12,8 por ciento para los niños de 6-7 años y de un 18,0 por ciento para los adolescentes. En conclusión, la prevalencia de rinitis y síntomas relacionados en niños y adolescentes que viven en diferentes ciudades brasileñas fue tan elevada como la que se ha observado en otras partes del mundo (AU)