Inhaled beclomethasone dipropionate downregulates CD4 and CD8 T-lymphocyte activation in peripheral blood of patients with asthma

• Published in: Journal of allergy and clinical immunology 1997-09, Vol.100 (3), p.379-382
• Main Authors: Majori, Maria, Piccoli, Maria Laura, Bertacco, Stefano, Cuomo, Angelo, Cantini, Luca, Pesci, Alberto
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Administration, Inhalation; AIDS/HIV; Anti-Asthmatic Agents - administration & dosage; Anti-Asthmatic Agents - therapeutic use; Asthma; Asthma - blood; Asthma - drug therapy; Asthma - immunology; Beclomethasone - administration & dosage; Beclomethasone - therapeutic use; beclomethasone dipropionate; Biological and medical sciences; CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes - immunology; CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes - immunology; Down-Regulation; HLA-DR Antigens - analysis; HLA-DR Antigens - metabolism; Humans; inhaled corticosteroids; Integrin alpha1beta1; Integrins - analysis; Integrins - metabolism; Lymphocyte Activation; Medical sciences; peripheral blood lymphocytes; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Receptors, Interleukin-2 - analysis; Receptors, Interleukin-2 - metabolism; Respiratory system; T-Lymphocyte Subsets - immunology
• ISSN: 0091-6749; 1097-6825
• DOI: 10.1016/S0091-6749(97)70252-5

Background: Previous studies demonstrated a downregulation of T-lymphocyte (CD3 + cells) activation in peripheral blood after treatment with inhaled corticosteroids in patients with asthma. Objective: This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of inhaled corticosteroids on CD4 + and CD8 + T-lymphocyte activation, respectively. Methods: We examined the expression of three surface activation markers (CD25, HLA-DR, and very late activation antigen 1) on circulating CD4 + and CD8 + T-cell subsets in subjects with asthma ( n = 23) before and 8 weeks after treatment with inhaled beclomethasone dipropionate dry powder (daily dose, 800 μg). Results: Beclomethasone dipropionate treatment had a marked effect in reducing the expression of the activation marker CD25 ( p < 0.01) in both CD4 + and CD8 + T-cell subsets in peripheral blood of patients with asthma. However, no correlation was found between the downregulation of CD4 + and CD8 + T-lymphocyte activation and the improvement in physiologic indices of disease activity. Conclusions: These data add to the view that CD4 + and CD8 + T lymphocytes in peripheral blood of patients with asthma are in an activated state that is downregulated by inhaled corticosteroids. (J Allergy Clin Immunol 1997;100:379-82.)