Role of mucosal immunity in pathogenesis of asthma and allergic rhinitis

Abstract

Objective To explore the role of mucosal immunity in the pathogenesis of asthma and allergic rhinitis and to search for common materials for the two conditions,so as to reveal the relationship of asthma and allergic rhinitis.Methods A total of 82 patients with acute asthma,including 44 with asthma alone and 38 with asthma complicated with rhinitis,were included in this study.Another 30 patients with allergic rhinitis alone and 30 healthy controls were also included.The saliva,sputum,and nasal secretions(all 2 ml) were collected to observe the secretory immunoglobulin-A(sIgA) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(ELISA).Flow cytometry was employed to observe CD4~+,CD8~ + lymphocytes in blood samples(2 ml) obtained from the elbow vein.The levels of eosinophil cationic protein(ECP) and serum total immunoglobulin E(T-IgE) were assessed by fluorescent enzyme immunoassay.Results Sputum sIgA levels in the asthmatic group,combination group,and rhinitis group were significantly lower than that in the normal control group (P0.01);saliva sIgA levels in the asthmatic group and combination group had a decreasing tendency but had no significant difference compared with that in the normal control group.sIgA levels in the nasal secretions in the asthma group and combination group were significantly higher than those in the normal control group(P0.05) and rhinitis group(P0.01),and there was no significant difference between the rhinitis group and the control group.Blood CD4~+ cells in the asthmatic group and combination group were decreased than that in the normal control group(P0.05).Blood CD8~+ cells were similar in all the groups.CD4~+/CD8~+ cells in the asthma group was significantly more than those in the normal control group and rhinitis group(P0.05).Serum T-IgE-levels in the combination group and rhinitis group were significantly higher than that in the normal control group(P0.01).Serum ECP was hardly detected in the normal control group;that in the asthma group was significantly higher than that in the rhinitis group(P0.05),and that in the combined group was not significantly different with those in the asthma group or the rhinitis group.ECP and T-IgE levels were positively correlated(r=0.467,P0.05) in the asthma group,and not correlated in other groups.Conclusion The asthma and allergic rhinitis are both closely related to mucosal immunity,which is the manifestation of asthma and rhinitis in different sites.The sIgA,CD4~+,CD8~+,ECP,and T-IgE may be the material bas for mucosal immunity.