Can bronchial asthma be classified based on the immunological status?

Background: Bronchial asthma is a chronic disorder of the airways. Bronchial asthma can be broadly categorized into atopic and nonatopic based on the immunological status, which may be helpful to plan appropriate treatment. In this study, the cytokine profile of the blood was estimated to evaluate the difference between the atopic and the nonatopic asthmatics.

Aim: The aim was to document the differences in cytokine (IL-6, TNF-α, and IFN-γ) imbalance in asthmatics with high serum immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels compared to those with normal serum IgE.

Materials and methods: Thirty confirmed bronchial asthmatics (17 men, 13 women) were included in this study. The serum levels of IgE, IFN-γ TNF-α, and IL-6 were measured using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay technique. They were divided into two groups based on serum IgE: asthmatics with normal serum IgE levels as group A (n = 7) and high IgE levels as group B (n = 23).

Results: : The differences in the mean values of IgE, TNF-α, and IFN-γ were statistically significant between the groups. These values were significantly higher in group B compared to group A. IL-6 was not significantly different between the groups. In group A, IL-6 was negatively correlated with IgE and IFN-γ. IgE and IFN-γ were positively correlated. In group B, IFN-γ and TNF-α showed a high correlation of +0.93.

Conclusion: Two groups of asthmatics stratified according to their serum IgE levels were immunologically different showing different profiles of serum cytokine levels and the relationship between the cytokines.