TY - JOUR
T1 - Complement factors C3a and C5a are increased in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid after segmental allergen provocation in subjects with asthma
AU - Krug, Norbert
AU - Tschernig, Thomas
AU - Erpenbeck, Veit J.
AU - Hohlfeld, Jens M.
AU - Köhl, Jörg
PY - 2001/11/15
Y1 - 2001/11/15
N2 - Allergic asthma is thought to be the result of an inappropriate specific immune response against common environmental antigens. However, studies of animal asthma models have also linked the innate immune system, in particular complement factors C3a and C5, to murine airway hyperresponsiveness. Because the possible role of these anaphylatoxins in patients with asthma is not understood, we tested the hypothesis that C3a and C5a will increase in the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid of patients with asthma after segmental allergen provocation. In a group of 15 subjects with mild asthma we found a significant upregulation of C3a and C5a 24 h after allergen challenge compared with baseline values (p < 0.01). In a control group of healthy volunteers the concentrations remained basically unchanged. Furthermore, we found a strong correlation between both anaphylatoxins and the number of eosinophils (p < 0.01) and, to a lesser degree, with the number of neutrophils (p < 0.05) in BAL fluid. These data suggest a contribution of anaphylatoxins C3a and C5a to the pathogenesis in asthma. However, the pathogenic role of these substances in relation to asthma remains to be elucidated, for example, by using anaphylatoxin receptor blockers as a possible new therapeutic principle.
AB - Allergic asthma is thought to be the result of an inappropriate specific immune response against common environmental antigens. However, studies of animal asthma models have also linked the innate immune system, in particular complement factors C3a and C5, to murine airway hyperresponsiveness. Because the possible role of these anaphylatoxins in patients with asthma is not understood, we tested the hypothesis that C3a and C5a will increase in the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid of patients with asthma after segmental allergen provocation. In a group of 15 subjects with mild asthma we found a significant upregulation of C3a and C5a 24 h after allergen challenge compared with baseline values (p < 0.01). In a control group of healthy volunteers the concentrations remained basically unchanged. Furthermore, we found a strong correlation between both anaphylatoxins and the number of eosinophils (p < 0.01) and, to a lesser degree, with the number of neutrophils (p < 0.05) in BAL fluid. These data suggest a contribution of anaphylatoxins C3a and C5a to the pathogenesis in asthma. However, the pathogenic role of these substances in relation to asthma remains to be elucidated, for example, by using anaphylatoxin receptor blockers as a possible new therapeutic principle.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0035891592&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1164/ajrccm.164.10.2010096
DO - 10.1164/ajrccm.164.10.2010096
M3 - Journal articles
C2 - 11734433
AN - SCOPUS:0035891592
SN - 1073-449X
VL - 164
SP - 1841
EP - 1843
JO - American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine
JF - American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine
IS - 10 I
ER -