[Inhibitory effects of cyclosporin A and FK-506 on eosinophil chemotactic factor activity in culture supernatants of mononuclear cells from asthmatics].

ABSTRACT

We have previously reported that the 5-day culture supernatants of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from Dermatophagides farinae (DF) sensitive asthmatics stimulated with 10 ng/ml DF antigen contain eosinophil chemotactic activity (ECA) with an apparent molecular weight greater than 30000 Da. In the present study, we examined the effects of CyA and FK on the ECA. ECA was tested using modified Boyden chamber method. We found that when CyA or FK was added to the culture throughout the experiment, the production of the factors with ECA by PBMC was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner. These inhibitory effects were unchanged by the addition of a sufficient dose of IL-2 to the culture medium. Isoelectrofocusing of the PBMC culture supernatants consistently yielded a major ECF activity at pH 7.0-7.5. The addition of CyA inhibited this major peak. In conclusion, these results suggest that mononuclear cells stimulated with related antigen produce substances which possess ECA and that CyA and FK can block the production of this substance. Therefore, there is a possibility that an immunosuppressive agent may be useful in bronchial asthma therapy by inhibiting the migration of eosinophils.