Effects of systemic glucocorticosteroids on peripheral neutrophil functions in asthmatic subjects: an ex vivo study

• Main Authors: P. L. Paggiaro (Author), L. Bancalari (Author), D. Giannessi (Author), W. Bernini (Author), G. Lazzerini (Author), R. Sicari (Author), E. Bacci (Author), F. L. Dente (Author), B. Vagaggini (Author), R. De Caterina (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: Hindawi Limited, 1995-01-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.
• Notes: 0962-9351; 1466-1861; 10.1155/S0962935195000408
• Keywords: Pathology; RB1-214
• Source: Mediators of Inflammation, Vol 4, Iss 4, Pp 251-256 (1995)

In 21 asthmatic subjects, several functions of isolated peripheral neutrophils (chemokinesis and chemotaxis toward 10% E. coli; superoxide anion generation after PMA; leukotriene B4 (LTB4) release from whole blood and isolated neutrophtls, before and after different stimuli) were evaluated during an acute exacerbation of asthma, and after 14 - 54 days of treatment with systemic glucocorticosteroids (GCS). During acute exacerbation, superoxide anion generation was higher in asthmatics than in eleven normal subjects (39.2 ± 14.1 vs. 25.2 ± 7.3 nmol, p < 0.05); there was a significant correlation between FEV1 (% of predicted) and neutrophil chemotaxis (r = −0.52, p = 0.04). After treatment, there was no significant change in all neutrophil functions, except for a decrease in neutrophil chemotaxis in subjects who showed an FEV1 increase > 20% after GCS treatment (from 131 ± 18 to 117 ± 21 μm, p = 0.005). Chemokinesis sicantly decreased in all subjects, and the changes significantly correlated with an arbitrary score of the total administered dose of GCS (r = 0.57, p < 0.05). These data suggest that neutrophil activation plays a minor role in asthma, and that treatment with GCS is not able to modify most functions of peripheral neutrophils in asthmatic subjects; chemotaxis seems to be related only to the severity of the asthma and it could reflect the improvement of the disease.