Blood neutrophil activation markers in severe asthma: lack of inhibition by prednisolone therapy

BACKGROUND Neutrophils are increased in the airways and in induced sputum of severe asthma patients. We determined the expression of activation markers from circulating neutrophils in severe asthma, and their supressibility by corticosteroids. METHODS We compared blood neutrophils from mild, moderate-to-severe and severe steroid-dependent asthma, and non-asthmatics (n = 10 each). We examined the effect of adding or increasing oral prednisolone (30 mg/day;1 week). RESULTS Flow cytometric expression of CD35 and CD11b, but not of CD62L or CD18, was increased in severe asthma. F-met-leu-phe increased CD11b, CD35 and CD18 and decreased CD62L expression in all groups, with a greater CD35 increase in severe asthma. In severe steroid-dependent asthma, an increase in prednisolone dose had no effect on neutrophil markers particularly CD62L, but reduced CD11b and CD62L on eosinophils. Phorbol myristate acetate-stimulated oxidative burst and IL-8 release by IL-1beta, lipopolysaccharide and GM-CSF in whole blood from mild but not severe asthmatics were inhibited after prednisolone. There were no differences in myeloperoxidase or neutrophil elastase release from purified neutrophils. CONCLUSION Because blood neutrophils in severe asthma are activated and are not inhibited by oral corticosteroids, they may be important in the pathogenesis of severe asthma.