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Background The TH2-like cytokines interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-5 play a pivotal role in airway wall inflammation in asthma and these cytokines are increased in peripheral blood and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from asthmatic patients. It is unclear why specifically TH2-like cytokines are increased in asthmatic patients. A possible explanation may be an impaired adenylyl cyclase activity, which has been observed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of asthmatics.Objective To assess interferon (IFN)-gamma, IL-4 and IL-5 mRNA expressions and their control by prostaglandin E-2 (PGE(2)), which activates adenylyl cyclases, of peripheral T lymphocytes from patients with moderately severe asthma and healthy controls.Methods Peripheral blood T lymphocytes from asthmatics and healthy controls were isolated and stimulated with antibodies against CD3 plus CD28 in the absence and presence of increasing concentrations of PGE(2). IFN-gamma, IL-4 and IL-5 mRNA levels were detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction.Results In contrast to IFN-gamma mRNA, IL-4 (P = 0.03, n = 8) and IL-5 (P Conclusions Activated peripheral blood T lymphocytes from asthma patients display higher levels of IL-4 and IL-5 mRNA in vitro, which may be due to a diminished activity of adenylyl cyclase. A new;observation is that higher IL-4 mRNA levels are associated with less severe AMP responsiveness, which might be due to a negative feedback loop of IL-4 production by mast cells.

Background The TH2-like cytokines interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-5 play a pivotal role in airway wall inflammation in asthma and these cytokines are increased in peripheral blood and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from asthmatic patients. It is unclear why specifically TH2-like cytokines are increased in asthmatic patients. A possible explanation may be an impaired adenylyl cyclase activity, which has been observed in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of asthmatics. Objective To assess interferon (IFN)-gamma, IL-4 and IL-5 mRNA expressions and their control by prostaglandin E-2 (PGE(2)), which activates adenylyl cyclases, of peripheral T lymphocytes from patients with moderately severe asthma and healthy controls. Methods Peripheral blood T lymphocytes from asthmatics and healthy controls were isolated and stimulated with antibodies against CD3 plus CD28 in the absence and presence of increasing concentrations of PGE(2). IFN-gamma, IL-4 and IL-5 mRNA levels were detected by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Results In contrast to IFN-gamma mRNA, IL-4 (P = 0.03, n = 8) and IL-5 (P