The comparison of CD4(+) CD25(+) Treg, IL-10 and TGF-beta from lymph and blood in bronchial asthmatic rat and the effect of dexamethasone on it

Objective: To observe the expression of CD4(+) CD25(+) Foxp3(+) Treg, IL-10 and TGF-beta in lymph and blood, as well as the effect of dexamethasone on it and investigate the relationship between them.

Methods: Lymph and blood samples of 0 h, 24 h, 48 h after the last challenge were collected from the rat model of asthma. The percentage of CD4(+) CD25(+) Foxp3(+) Treg were detected by flow cytometer (FCM), while the levels of IL-10 and TGF-beta were determined by ELISA.

Results: The percentage of CD4(+) CD25(+) Foxp3(+) Treg in the blood and the levels of IL-10 and TGF-beta in the plasma in cases of asthma group were significantly lower than that of the control and therapy group at different time points (P<0.05); The percentage of CD4(+) CD25(+) Foxp3(+) Treg and the level of IL-10 in lymph were significantly higher than that of blood (P<0.05), however, the level of TGF-beta in lymph were significantly lower than that of blood (P<0.05); There were no significant differences which the percentage of CD4(+) CD25(+) Foxp3(+) Treg in the blood and the levels of IL-10 and TGF-beta in the plasma between control group and therapy group (P>0.05).

Conclusions: There is a disbalance both quantity and function of CD4(+) CD25(+) Foxp3(+) in the lymph of bronchial asthmatic rat, and the percentage of CD4(+) CD25(+) Foxp3(+) Treg in lymph are significantly higher than that of blood, which dexamethasone may effectively increase the percentage of CD4(+) CD25(+) Foxp3(+) Treg in bronchial asthmatic rat.