da Silva-Martins et al. Clinical and Translational Allergy 2013, 3:28 http://www.ctajournal.com/content/3/1/28

RESEARCH

Open Access

Inhaled corticosteroid treatment for 6 months was not sufficient to normalize phagocytosis in asthmatic children Carmen Lívia Faria da Silva-Martins1,2,3, Shirley Claudino Couto1 and Maria Imaculada Muniz-Junqueira1*

Abstract Background: Corticosteroids are the first-line therapy for asthma; however, the effect of corticosteroids on the innate immune system remains unclear. This study’s objective was to evaluate the effect of inhaled corticosteroid therapy (ICT) on phagocytic functions. Methods: To evaluate the impact of ICT, the phagocytosis of Saccharomyces cerevisiae by blood monocytes and neutrophils and the production of superoxide anions were assessed before and after three and six months of ICT treatment in 58 children with persistent asthma and 21 healthy controls. Results: We showed that the phagocytic capacity of monocytes and neutrophils that occurred via pattern recognition receptors or was mediated by complement and immunoglobulin receptors in asthmatic children before treatment was significantly lower than in healthy controls (p12 years (5 answers). The test was adapted for children < 4 years, with the mother responding to the questions. The children were considered clinically controlled (ACT ≥ 25), partially controlled (ACT = 20–24) or uncontrolled (ACT < 20) [15]. The PEF value was recorded as the best of three forced expirations by means of a peak flow meter and expressed as the percentage of predicted of normal values for height and sex values for children ≥ 100 cm. In seven children with mild persistent asthma (mPA), one child with moderate persistent asthma (MPA) and three with severe persistent asthma (SPA) the PEF were not assessed. All these children younger than 5 years had familial history of asthma. The thresholds of PEF used to severity evaluation were: mPA ≥80% predicted value, MPA= 60-80% predicted value, and SPA ≤ 60% predicted value. BMI was assessed to exclude any possible influence of child nutritional status on phagocyte functions. During the second (3 months) and third (6 months) clinical follow-up visits, the children were assessed with the ACT, PFE and BMI. The children were treated with ICS. A long-acting β2-agonist (LABA) was added when necessary to control symptoms. All 24 children with mild persistent asthma (mPA), 10 children 12 hours prior to their blood being drawn. Hemogram (Cell-dyn 3.700) was automatically assessed. The Human Research Ethical Committee of the School of Medicine of the University of Brasilia approved the experimental protocol (process no. 02/2007). All parents provided formal informed consent for their child’s participation in this study.

da Silva-Martins et al. Clinical and Translational Allergy 2013, 3:28 http://www.ctajournal.com/content/3/1/28

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Table 1 Clinical characteristics of healthy controls and asthmatic children before inhaled corticosteroid therapy showing mild, moderate and severe persistent asthma Parameters

Normal control

Mild persistent asthma

Moderate persistent asthma

Severe persistent asthma

Number

21/78

24/58 (41.3%)

20/58 (34.5%)

14/58 (24.1%)

Test p

Gender (boys/girls)

9/12

13/11

12/8

6/8

Chi-square p=0.64

Age (years) (mean±SD)

10.7±2.1

6.32±2.99

9.22±3.33

7.24±3.53

ANOVA* p0.05

MPA

47.4±31.2

50.5±31.5

50.0±30.5

SPA

63.7±32.5

61.8±29.6

63.2±29.5

≥25

0/23 (0%)

1/23 (4.3%)

4/22 (18.2%)

Chi-square

20-24**

11/23 (47.8%)

19/23 (82.6%)

16/22 (72.7%)

p