Levels of cytokines ındicative of t cell response in bronchoalveolar lavage of tuberculin skin test-positive children
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2014
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to evaluate the levels of interleukin (IL)-4, IL-10, transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-b), IL-17,and IL-23 cytokines, which refect different T lymphocyte responses, in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) samples of tuberculin skin test(TST)-positive children. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Twelve children with TST positivity, who underwent fexible videobronchoscopy (FB) to evaluate airwayinvolvement and to obtain BAL to improve diagnostic yield, and 11 control children with negative TST, who underwent FB for otherreasons, were enrolled in this case-control study. BAL samples were obtained from all children during the FB procedure. Levels of IL-4,interferon gamma (IFN-γ), IL-10, TGF-b , IL-17, and IL-23 were measured by the ELISA method. RESULTS: Mean age of the children enrolled in the TST-positive and -negative groups were 8.6 (4.3) vs. 6.8 (4.5), respectively (p=0.35).There was a trend of higher TGF-b levels in TST-positive children compared with TST-negative children [557.9 (515.3) vs. 386.3 (208.1),respectively, p=0.07]. Mean levels of IL-23 were 39.2 (29.5) in TST-positive children vs. 46.2 (72.3) in TST-negative children (p=0.49).IFN-γ , IL-4, IL-10, and IL-17 levels were not signifcantly different among the groups (p>0.05 for all). CONCLUSION: Results of this study suggest that TGF-b in BAL fuid of children with TST positivity tends to be higher than that in TST- negative children, which indicates an increased activity of regulatory T lymphocytes that may decrease the Th1 immune response. TGF-b might be studied in future research for its potential as a diagnostic modality and immunomodulatory treatment target.