The Change Of Peripheral Blood Cytokines And Lymphocyte Subsets Of Hay Fever Patients

Objective:A panel of cytokines in sera and pollen-stimulated PBMC culture supernatant, and peripheral blood lymphocyte subsets counts were determined in patients with hay fever, during and after the pollen season, to investigate the immune function of cytokines and lymphocyte subsets in pollen and non-pollen season of hay fever patients.Method:The study was divided into two parts, part1:The allergy patient cohort included a group in pollen season (N=25) and another group in non-pollen season (N=20). Twenty healthy subjects were recruited as controls. Subjects’sera were collected and sera levels of25cytokines (IL-1β、IL-2、IL-4、IL-5、IL-6、IL-17A、IL-28A、GM-CSF、 TNF-α、TNF-β、IFN-γ、CCL20、IL-12p70、IL-9、IL-10、IL-13、IL-15、IL-17E、 IL-17F、IL-21、IL-22、IL-23、IL-27、IL-31and IL-33) were measured with a multiplex assay kit by Luminex technology. Part2:With self-control way, a panel of cytokines in crude Artemisia pollen extract-stimulated PBMC culture supernatant, and the peripheral blood cell counts and lymphocyte subsets of20cases hay fever patients in pollen season and non-pollen season period were determined by Luminex, hematology analyzer and flow cytometry, respectively.Results:1. Sera TNFa in pollen season group was higher than non-pollen season group (P<0.05). The rest cytokines were no significant difference (P>0.05). Moreover, comparison hay fever patients with the normal group showed that sera levels of IL-1β、IL-2、 IL-4、IL-6、IL-17Aand TNF-β were significantly higher in both allergic groups than which in the control group. Additionally, sera levels of IL-5、GM-CSF、TNF-α、IFN-γ, and IL-28A were significantly higher in the pollen season group than which in the control group. The remaining14cytokines showed no significant difference (P>0.05) among the three groups.2. The supernatant levels of IL-1β、IL-17A、IL-23and IL-33in Artemisia pollen extract-stimulated PBMC culture in pollen season were higher than which in non-pollen season (P<0.05), at the same time, IL-23and IL-17A was a positive correlation (r=0.573,.P=0.01). While, the concentrations of CCL20in non-pollen season was higher than which in pollen season (P<0.05).In other cytokines, there were no significant difference (P>0.05).3. The levels of eosinophils, basophils, CD8+CD28+T cells and CD8+CD38+T cells were significantly higher (P<0.05), NK cells was lower (T<0.05). B lymphocytes, T lymphocytes, CD4+T cells, CD8+T cells,CD4+CD28+T cells, naive memory T cells had no significant change in peripheral blood of hay fever in pollen season period compared with those in non-pollen season period.Conclusions:1. In hay fever patients, IFN-y has a Th2cytokine-like role. The allergy patients appeared to be in a state of chronic inflammation in both pollen season and non-pollen season period.2. In pollen season, the supernatant levels of IL-1β、IL-17A、IL-23and IL-33in Artemisia pollen extract-stimulated PBMC culture were increased,the levels of peripheral blood eosinophils,basophils were significantly increased and NK cells were reduced, hay fever patients’CD8+CD28+and CD8+CD38+T cell might be in a state of immune activation in pollen season period, play an important role in allergic inflammation.