QUANTITATIVE COMPARISON OF CYTOKINE mRNA AND INFLAMMATORY RESPONSES IN CUTANEOUS LATE PHASE ALLERGIC REACTIONS

• Published in: Cytokine (Philadelphia, Pa.) Pa.), 2000-07, Vol.12 (7), p.1065-1075
• Main Authors: Zweiman, Burton, Parrott, Carmen M, Graif, Yael, David, Mary, Lessin, Stuart R
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; cutaneous late phase reactions/cytokine/IL-5/mRNA; Dermatitis - immunology; E-Selectin - biosynthesis; Eosinophils - immunology; Female; Humans; Hypersensitivity - immunology; Hypersensitivity - pathology; Immunohistochemistry - methods; In Situ Hybridization - methods; Interferon-gamma - biosynthesis; Interferon-gamma - genetics; Interleukin-5 - biosynthesis; Interleukin-5 - genetics; Leukocytes, Mononuclear; Male; Middle Aged; Neutrophils - immunology; Pollen - immunology; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction - methods; RNA, Messenger - metabolism; Skin - immunology; Skin - pathology; T-Lymphocytes - immunology; Time Factors; Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-1 - biosynthesis
• ISSN: 1043-4666; 1096-0023
• DOI: 10.1006/cyto.2000.0671

The aim of this study was to quantitatively compare expression of mRNA for IL-5 and IFN-γ with the frequency of mRNA-positive cells, total and activated eosinophils, neutrophils, lymphocytes, and vessels expressing adhesion molecules. Replicate biopsies of skin LPR to pollen antigens (Ag) and control injection sites (B) at 6 and 24h were assessed for: (1) mRNA for IL-5 and IFN-γ by quantitative RT-PCR (QC-RT/PCR); (2) frequency of cells expressing mRNA for IL-5 and IFN-γ by in situ hybridization (ISH); (3) inflammatory cells and adhesion molecule expression. More mRNA for IL-5 was found in Ag- than in B-injected sites at 6 and 24h by both QC-RT/PCR and ISH. Small amounts of mRNA for IFN-γ were detected in Ag sites by QC-RT/PCR at 6 and 24h, but were not significantly different than at B sites. The frequency of IFN-γ mRNA+cells was higher in Ag than in B sites at 6h. There was no correlation between the amount if IL-5 detected by QC-RT/PCR and frequency of IL-5 mRNA+cells by ISH. These findings also did not correlate with the degree of inflammatory responses. In conclusion: (1) greater IL-5 than IFN-γ deposition in Ag sites suggests Th2predominance in LPR; (2) lack of correlation between QC-RT/PCR and ISH findings may reflect varying mRNA content of inflammatory cells.