To elucidate the role ofT lymphocyte activation and eosinophilic infiltrations in the bronchial tree of patients with bronchial asthma and the effect of salbutamol and anhydrous theophylline on these parameters, a
study was carried out on twenty patients having extrinsic asthma (group I), twenty with intrinsic asthma (group n) and ten healthy controls (group HI). Soluble Interleukin-2 receptors (sIL-2R), eosinophilic count
both in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and bloodwere performed immediately after the relief of acute attack and one week later during remission. Physiologic parameters including FEVi, FVC and PEFRwere also done
during acute attack and 20minutes after inhalation of nebulized salbutamol. Each group of asthmatic patients were divided into two subgroups, group la and group Ila received salbutamol and group Ib and group lib
received anhydrous theophylline. Themean serumandBAL sIL-2Rand eosinophilic countwere significantly higher in acute episode of asthma compared to normal controls,moreover, therewas a positive correlation
between sIL-2R and eosinophilic count with an inverse relationship with PEFR. Seven days after the acute attack, patients received salbutamol did not show any significant decrease in either sIL-2Ror eosinophilic
count in BAL fluid and blood, on the other hand significant reductionwas observed hi patients receiving anhydrous theophylline. Therefore, it could be concluded that T cell activation with increased eosinophilic
infiltration in bronchial tree may lead to enhanced bronchial hyperreactivity in patients with bronchial asthma, anhydrous theophylline possesses antiinflammatory action by virtue of its inhibitory effect on T lymphocyte
activation which might recommend its long termuse in asthmatic patients. |
