ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Recent studies have demonstrated and suggested that Interleukin (IL) -10 and IL-11 are implicated in the pathophysiology of RSV infection and may act in the regulation of inflammatory response. We measured IL-10 and IL-11 in nasal secretions of infants with acute RSV bronchiolitis to investigate if there is any difference in the production of these anti-inflammatory cytokines between atopic and non-atopic subjects. METHODS: We measured IL-10, IL-11 in nasal secretions of 44 infants (20 were atopic) with acute RSV bronchiolitis. The nasal secretion samples were obtained from patients on admission and stored immediately at -70degrees C until analysis. Atopy was defined as having at least one positive skin prick test to common allergens, a positive history of atopic dermatitis or age-matched, high serum IgE level. RESULTS: IL-10 and IL-11 increased significantly in nasal secretion of infants with acute RSV bronchiolitis. Both IL-10 and IL-11 were significantly lower in atopic patients than in non-atopic patients. There was no significant relation between the severity of symptoms and IL-10 or IL-11 levels. CONCLUSION: Our study showed that both IL-10 and IL-11 increased in nasal secretion during acute RSV bronchiolitis, and the levels were significantly lower in atopic patients than in non-atopic patients. It suggests that the airway inflammation induced by RSV may be different between atopic and non-atopic patients and this may be associated with lower induction of these anti-inflammatory cytokines in atopic patients.