RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Effects on innate immunity in swine farmers after treatment with steroids
JF European Respiratory Journal
JO Eur Respir J
FD European Respiratory Society
SP P1500
VO 44
IS Suppl 58
A1 Anna Hedelin
A1 Britt-Marie Sundblad
A1 Susanna Kullberg
A1 Kjell Larsson
A1 Lena Palmberg
YR 2014
UL http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/44/Suppl_58/P1500.abstract
AB Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play a key role in the innate immunity and are less expressed on monocytes/macrophages in e.g. farmers, smokers and COPD patients than in healthy non-smokers. This might contribute to the increased prevalence of chronic bronchitis and bacterial colonization amongst farmers and smokers. Lately, it has been shown in vitro that primary bronchial epithelial cells exposed to pro-inflammatory stimuli such as organic dust, TNF or LPS – followed by exposure to glucocorticosteroids (budesonide) – significantly increased the mRNA expression of TLR2 (von Scheele I et al, Inhal Toxicol 2010;22(6):493-499).In this study we investigate whether there is an interaction between exposure to organic dust and glucocorticoids in vivo. Thus, 15 healthy pig farmers inhaled budesonide (400 mg) and placebo (twice a day for 14 days in a cross over design. Blood sampling, induced sputum and lung function measurements was performed before and after each treatment period. A questionnaire regarding general and airways specific symptoms was completed at each visit. TLR4, CD14 and TLR2 expression was measured in blood and sputum using flow cytometry.Analysis of the first 12 farmers suggest that steroid treatment induce the immune system by increasing the CD4+/CD8+ ratio in blood CD3+ lymphocytes (p=0.03), both by increasing the CD4+ T-cells and decreasing the CD8+ T-cells. Locally, the limited dataset also suggest that there is increase of TLR2 and CD14 expression in sputum neutrophils.In conclusion, short-term local glucocorticosteroid treatment of swine farmers alters innate immunity systemically.