DEVELOPMENT OF IMMUNOLOGICAL RESPONSE OF INFANTS BORN TO MOTHERS
WITH BRONCHIAL ASTHMA
Priamkova JV, Samsygina GA,
Zaitseva OV
Russian State Medical
University, Moscow, Russia
It is known that infants who develop allergy already have an
altered immune response at birth. The purpose of this study was to obtain
further information on the reported immune responses of newborns and
influence to the subsequent allergy. We investigated immunological status
of babies at birth and at 6 months of life and also the clinical
development of allergy. Cord blood samples were obtained from infants
(n=18, group 1) were born to mothers with bronchial asthma. In control
group were included conditional healthy babies of mothers without atopic
anamnesis (n=10, group 2). ELISA technique was used to determine sputum
concentrations of interleukin (IL)-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-13, interferon-gamma
(IFN-gamma), immuniglobu-lin (Ig)E and the common immunoglobulin G subclass
antibodies. We exposed some changes of mediators section of immune system
of newborns from mothers with asthma at birth: blood samples showed low
level IL-2 and IFN-gamma with accompanying high level of IL-6. There were
no significant differences of concentrations of IL-4 and IL-13 in the
comparable groups at birth. Tendency to the increasing levels of IL-4 and
IL-13 were revealed at age of 6 months. Signs of allergic dermatitis were
exposed in the early period of adaptation at one infant of group 1, which
correlated with high level IgE of cord blood. The 12 infants of the
investigated group had different allergic reactions during the first 6
months of life. Two of the babies of asthmatic mothers have demonstrated a
development of asthma. А deterioration of asthma during pregnancy
was noted in 2 cases; moreover, with development of status asthmaticus and
mortal outcome of mother and infant in 1 case. Thus, immunological pattern
of Th-profile at birth showed approximately the same level of Th2-cytokine
profile at both normals and atopics. Tendency to enhancing Th2-cytokine
profile to the 6 months was revealed at atopics. Results of this research
will be re-evaluated when the bab!
ies are 12 and 18 months.