BACKGROUND: Five to twenty percent of healthy, nonasthmatic individuals exhibit airway hyperreactivity. Because cytokines are important intermediates in airway responses, we investigated the relationship between serum cytokines and airway responsiveness in a well-characterized population of pregnant women. METHODS: We analyzed serum levels of interleukin-4 (IL-4), IL-5, IL-6, interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) in frozen sera from 240 pregnant nonasthmatic subjects from a previous study of airway responsiveness and preterm labor for their relationship to methacholine challenge test results. RESULTS: Serum IFN-gamma and GM-CSF levels were significantly related to levels of methacholine airway responsiveness among nonasthmatics in this population. Nonasthmatics with PD(20) <8 micromol (the highest level of airway responsiveness) had the highest mean serum levels of IFN-gamma and GM-CSF, those with 8 <or= PD(20) <or= >50 micromol had intermediate levels, and those with PD(20) >>50 mol had the lowest levels. Both serum IFN-gamma and GM-CSF levels were also significantly related to the log dose-response slope for methacholine responsiveness. These relationships were confirmed in a multiple linear regression analysis controlling for age, ethnic background, and cigarette smoking. Current smoking was uniformly associated with decreased cytokine levels. CONCLUSION: IFN-gamma, GM-CSF, and other cytokines may be useful serum markers in population studies of airway responsiveness. Copyright 2003 S. Karger AG, Basel
BACKGROUND: Five to twenty percent of healthy, nonasthmatic individuals exhibit airway hyperreactivity. Because cytokines are important intermediates in airway responses, we investigated the relationship between serum cytokines and airway responsiveness in a well-characterized population of pregnant women. METHODS: We analyzed serum levels of interleukin-4 (IL-4), IL-5, IL-6, interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) in frozen sera from 240 pregnant nonasthmatic subjects from a previous study of airway responsiveness and preterm labor for their relationship to methacholine challenge test results. RESULTS: Serum IFN-gamma and GM-CSF levels were significantly related to levels of methacholine airway responsiveness among nonasthmatics in this population. Nonasthmatics with PD(20) <8 micromol (the highest level of airway responsiveness) had the highest mean serum levels of IFN-gamma and GM-CSF, those with 8 <or= PD(20) <or= >50 micromol had intermediate levels, and those with PD(20) >>50 mol had the lowest levels. Both serum IFN-gamma and GM-CSF levels were also significantly related to the log dose-response slope for methacholine responsiveness. These relationships were confirmed in a multiple linear regression analysis controlling for age, ethnic background, and cigarette smoking. Current smoking was uniformly associated with decreased cytokine levels. CONCLUSION:IFN-gamma, GM-CSF, and other cytokines may be useful serum markers in population studies of airway responsiveness. Copyright 2003 S. Karger AG, Basel
Authors: Wendy Cozen; David Diaz-Sanchez; W James Gauderman; John Zadnick; Myles G Cockburn; Parkash S Gill; Rizwan Masood; Ann S Hamilton; Minna Jyrala; Thomas M Mack Journal: J Clin Immunol Date: 2004-11 Impact factor: 8.317
Authors: Tess V Clendenen; Karen L Koenig; Alan A Arslan; Annekatrin Lukanova; Franco Berrino; Yian Gu; Goran Hallmans; Annika Idahl; Vittorio Krogh; Anna E Lokshin; Eva Lundin; Paola Muti; Adele Marrangoni; Brian M Nolen; Nina Ohlson; Roy E Shore; Sabina Sieri; Anne Zeleniuch-Jacquotte Journal: Cytokine Date: 2011-10-19 Impact factor: 3.861