Interleukin‐13 and ‐4 expression in the central airways of smokers with chronic bronchitis
- 1 October 2003
- journal article
- Published by European Respiratory Society (ERS) in European Respiratory Journal
- Vol. 22 (4), 602-608
- https://doi.org/10.1183/09031936.03.00046402
Abstract
The aim of this study was to determine whether the T‐helper 2‐type cytokines interleukin (IL)‐13 and ‐4 are involved in mucus hypersecretion, the hallmark of chronic bronchitis (CB). Surgical specimens were examined from 33 subjects undergoing lung resection for localised peripheral malignant pulmonary lesions: 21 smokers with symptoms of CB, 10 asymptomatic smokers (AS) and two nonsmokers with normal lung function. The number of IL‐4 and ‐13 positive (+) cells in the central airways was quantified. To better assess the cytokine profile, a count was also made of IL‐5+ and interferon (IFN)‐γ+ cells. Compared to AS, the CB group had an increased number of IL‐13+ and ‐4+ cells in the bronchial submucosa, while the number of IL‐5+ and IFN‐γ+ cells were similar in all the groups. No significant associations were found between the number of cells expressing IL‐13 or ‐4 and the number of inflammatory cells. Double labelling showed that 13.2 and 12.9% of IL‐13+ cells were also CD8+ and CD4+, whereas 7.5 and 5% of IL‐4+ cells were CD8+ and CD4+, respectively. In conclusion, T‐helper‐2 and ‐1 protein expression is present in the central airways of smokers and interleukin‐4 and ‐13 could contribute to mucus hypersecretion in chronic bronchitis.Keywords
This publication has 20 references indexed in Scilit:
- The Role of IL-13 in Established Allergic Airway DiseaseThe Journal of Immunology, 2002
- Leukotriene-Receptor Expression on Nasal Mucosal Inflammatory Cells in Aspirin-Sensitive RhinosinusitisThe New England Journal of Medicine, 2002
- TGF-β and IL-13 Synergistically Increase Eotaxin-1 Production in Human Airway FibroblastsThe Journal of Immunology, 2002
- The Th2 Lymphocyte Products IL-4 and IL-13 Rapidly Induce Airway Hyperresponsiveness Through Direct Effects on Resident Airway CellsAmerican Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology, 2002
- Interleukin-13: Central Mediator of Allergic AsthmaScience, 1998
- Inflammatory Cells in the Bronchial Glands of Smokers with Chronic BronchitisAmerican Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 1997
- Phenotypic and physiologic characterization of transgenic mice expressing interleukin 4 in the lung: lymphocytic and eosinophilic inflammation without airway hyperreactivity.Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 1996
- Different cytokine patterns in bronchial biopsies in asthma and chronic bronchitisRespiratory Medicine, 1996
- Airway eosinophilia in chronic bronchitis during exacerbations.American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 1994
- In VivoDetection of a Novel Macrophage-derived Protein Involved in the Regulation of Mucus-like Glycoconjugate SecretionAmerican Review of Respiratory Disease, 1992