Th2 Cytokine Levels Distort the Association of IL-10 and IFN-γ with Allergic Phenotypes

Abstract EN

The expression of allergic phenotypes involves complex inter-relationships among several Th2 and Th1 cytokines as well as the regulator cytokine interleukin (IL)-10.

These direct or indirect interrelationships may distort the true associations of cytokine responses with these phenotypes.

In this study, we aimed to clarify the effects of the regulatory cytokine IL-10 and Th1 cytokine interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) on allergic phenotypes after adjusting for the correlations with Th2 cytokines.

After adjusting for Th2 cytokines, IL-10 and IFN-γ were protective against atopy.

Adjusted levels of IL-10 and IFN-γ stimulated with house-dust mite (HDM) were significantly lower in atopics than non-atopics, for IL-10 adjusting for IL-5 (P=0.002), IL-13 (P=0.012), IL-9 (P=0.016), and IL-4 (P=0.043), and for IFN-γ adjusting for IL-5 (P=0.005), IL-13 (P=0.005), and IL-9 (P=0.037).

IL-10 and IFN-γ levels stimulated with phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) and staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB) exhibited a similar pattern.

The adjusted levels of IL-10 and IFN-γ stimulated with HDM, PHA or SEB were all significantly negatively correlated with total serum IgE, except for IFN-γ stimulated with SEB.

Levels of Th2 cytokines distort the associations of IL-10 and IFN-γ with allergic phenotypes.

Removing the covariance with Th2 cytokines, both IL-10 and IFN-γ were protective against atopy.