Changes and significance of induced sputum and interleukin - 6, interleukin 8 in children with acute asthma / 实用儿科临床杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the characteristic and clinical significance of airway inflammation in children with acute asth-ma. Methods Underwent sputum induction and sputum induction in children (n=34) with acute asthma was repented in recovered children ( n = 24).Induced sputum were also taken from 15 healthy children as controls.Total and differential cell counts were per-formed. Interleukin(IL)-8、IL-6 were measured,The relationship between inflammatory cells and IL-8、 IL-6、peak expiratory (PEF) were analyzed.Results The inflammatory cell infiltrate was mixed including eosmophilic granulocytes, neutrophils, and macrophages. They decreased significantly, but eosinophilic granulocyte remained a higher percentage compared with healthy subjects. There was low-er percentage of lymphocytes at acute exacerhation.Eosinophilic granulocytes were correlated with the degree of airflow obstruction. Levels of IL-8、IL-6 were elevated during the acute exacerbation and decreased at resolution.IL-8 was correlated significantly with neutrophils at acute exacerhation and resolution.IL-6 was correlated signifficantly with eosinophilic granulocytes at acute exacerbation. Conclusions Airway inflammation is chataeterized by infiltration of eosinophils, neutrophils and macrophages.IL-8、IL-6 possibly is the important cytokines of airway inflammation in children with acute asthma. Increased eosinophils in induced sputum correlates with asthma severity. Therapy to the cytokines may have potential values.J Appl Clin pediatr,2004,19(12) 1023-1025