Influence of Azithromycin on peripheral blood helper T lymphocyte 9 cells and helper T lymphocyte 17 cells in children with bronchial asthma

Abstract

Objective To observe the influence of Azithromycin on helper T lymphocyte 9 cells(Th9)and Th17 in peripheral blood of children with bronchial asthma, and to investigate the immunomodulating effect of Azithromycin. Methods Twenty-six asthmatic children were selected as the experimental group, and 17 healthy children as a control group.Peripheral blood mononuclear cells(PBMC)were isolated from venous blood by density gradient centri-fugation under aseptic conditions.PBMC were split by phytohemagglutinin(PHA) in vitro.Different concentrations of Azithromycin (0, 0.1, 1.0, 10.0 mg/L)were added into the cultures in the experimental group.The control group was not interfered with azithromycin.The supematant was collected after 72 h. The levels of interleukin(IL)-4, IL-9, IL-17 and IL-23 in the supematant were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA). SPSS 17.0 software was used to analyze data. Results (1) The levels of IL-4, IL-9, IL-17 and IL-23 produced from PBMC of the experimental group were significantly higher than those in the control group(t=9.210, 3.040, 8.965, 2.796, P 0.05). The levels of IL-17 and IL-23 of Azithromycin 10 mg/L were lower than those in Azithromycin 0 mg/L and 0.1 mg/L(P 0.05). (3)IL-9 level was negatively correlated with IL-4 level in the experimental group(r=-0.255, P>0.05). The levels of IL-23 and IL-17 secreted by Th17 in asthmatic children had correlation.The secretion of IL-17 levels rose with the secretion of IL-23 rise(r=0.64, P<0.05). Conclusions The function of Th9 and Th17 in asthmatic children was enhanced; Azithromycin could restrain the function of Th9 and Th17 at higher tissue concentrations (10.0 mg/L), the former was unrelated to changes in the secretion of IL-9 levels, and the latter with the secretion of IL-23 levels decreased close.Azithromycin can play a role of immune modulators in higher concentrations, inflammatory cytokines are inhibited in the asthmatic children, and Azithromycin relieves airway inflammation. Key words: Helper T lymphocyte 9; Helper T lymphocyte 17; Interleukin-9; Interleukin-17; Azithromycin; Bronchial asthma