Aim: To determine the percentage of CD4+CD25(high) Treg cells in peripheral bloodCD4+ T cells of allergic asthmatic children during disease remission and exacerbation.
Methods: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and serum samples were collected from 6- to 11-year-old children with mild-to-moderate allergic asthma (n = 34)and from healthy controls (n = 15). CD4+CD25(high) T cells in PBMC were detected by flow cytometry. Total and specific IgE in serum were analysed by enzyme-amplified chemiluminescence, and IL-2 was measured by ELISA.
Results: There was no significant difference in CD4+CD25(high) T-cell proportions between asthmatic children in exacerbation and remission as compared with controls.CD4+CD25(high) T-cell percentages were not correlated with total and specific IgE. IL-2 was elevated in both disease remission and exacerbation but did not correlate significantly with CD4+CD25(high) T-cell percentages.
Conclusion: CD4+CD25(high) T-cell proportion in the peripheral blood of total CD4+T cells is not reduced in children with allergic IgE-mediated asthma and does not differ between disease remission and exacerbation.