Objective To examine the levels of nitrite /nitrate( NO2 /NO3 ) , IL-4 and IFN-γin exhaled breath condensates( EBCs) in patients with asthma, and to investigate the effect of corticosteroid treatment. Methods Forty patients diagnosed as mild to moderate asthma were recruited. Among them, twenty were newly diagnosed and steroid naive( non-treatment group) . The other 20 patients had been treated with corticosteroid treatment( treatment group) . Twenty healthy volunteers were enrolled as normal control.EBC samples were taken for measurement of NO2 /NO3, IL-4 and IFN-γlevels. Serum IL-4 and IFN-γ concentrations were also measured. Results NO2 /NO3 level in EBC of the non-treatment group was significantly higher than that of the normal controls and the treatment group[ ( 48. 55 ±27. 37) μmol / L vs( 24. 51 ±18. 22) μmol /L, ( 36. 06 ±25. 13) μmol /L, respectively, both P lt; 0. 05] , and no significant difference was found between the treatment group and the normal controls( P gt;0. 05) . The IL-4 and IFN-γ levels in both EBC and serum had no significant difference between the three groups ( all P gt; 0. 05) . Conclusion NO2 /NO3 in EBCs increases in asthmatic patients, and decreases after corticosteroid treatment. Whether IL-4 and IFN-γlevels can be used for reflecting airway inflammation need further study.
Objectives To observe the expression of CCL1/CCR8 mRNA in murine lung tissue of bronchial asthma and effects of glucocorticoids on their expression. Methods Thirthy healthy mice were randomly divided into a control group, an asthma group, and a dexamethasone group, with 10 mice in each group. The sensitized murine asthma model was induced by ovalbumin sensitization and challenge, and the dexamethasone group were peritoneally injected with dexamethasone( 2 mg/ kg) . Total and differential cell counts in BALF were measured. IL-4 Level in BALF was evaluated by ELISA. The expression of CCL1 and CCR8 mRNA in the lungs were measured by semi-quantitative RT-PCR. Results The percentage of eosinophils, lymphocyte and IL-4 level in the asthma group increased significantly compared with the controlgroup, and which in the dexamethasone group decreased significantly compared with the asthma group and still higher than the control group( all P lt; 0. 01) . The expression of CCL1 and CCR8 mRNA had the same tendency ( all P lt;0. 01) . Conclusions The gene expression of CCL1/CCR8 is up-regulated in allergic asthma mice.Glucocorticoids can relieve airway inflammation of asthma probably by inhibiting CCL1/CCR8 expression.
ObjectiveTo investigate the influence of immunoglobulin (Ig)on celluar immune function of postoperative infants with cyanotic congenital heart disease (CCHD). MethodsForty infants who underwent surgical repair of CCHD in Department of Cardiac Surgery, Children's Hospital of Hebei Province from March to December 2012 were enrolled in this study. All the patients were randomly divided into 2 groups. Patients in Ig group received intravenous Ig treatment at the dosage of 1g/ (kg·day)for 2 days postoperatively in addition to routine therapy. Patients in the control group only received routine therapy without Ig treatment. Five ml venous blood samples of all the patients were taken preoperatively, 0.5 hour and 2 days postoperatively to examine serum levels of interferon gamma (IFN-γ)and interleukin-4 (IL-4)with double-antibody sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), which were compared between the 2 groups. ResultsThere was no statistical difference in serum levels of IL-4 or IFN-γ preoperatively and at 0.5 hour postoperatively between the 2 groups (P > 0.05). Serum levels of IL-4 and IFN-γ at 0.5 hour postoperatively were significantly higher than preoperative levels in the 2 groups respectively (P=0.000). Serum IL-4 level of Ig group 2 days postoperatively was not statistically different from preoperative level (P=0.362), while serum IL-4 level of the control group 2 days postoperatively was significantly higher than preoperative level (P=0.006). Two days after the operation, serum levels of IL-4 and IFN-γ of Ig group were significantly lower than those of the control group respectively (P=0.039 and 0.007 respectively). Compared with serum levels at 0.5 hour postoperatively in the control group, serum IL-4 level at 2 days postoperatively decreased by 20.08% (P=0.001), and serum IFN-γ increased by 17.80% (P=0.001). Compared with serum levels at 0.5 hour postoperatively in Ig group, serum IL-4 level at 2 days postoperatively decreased by 35.38% (P=0.000), and serum IFN-γ only increased by 7.60% (P=0.143). ConclusionCellular immune function disorder caused by the operation and cardiopulmonary bypass can be effectively improved by postoperative intravenous Ig administration, which may help to reduce postoperative complications.