Serum Levels of Epithelial-Derived Cytokines as Interleukin-25 and Thymic Stromal Lymphopoietin after a Single Dose of Mepolizumab in Patients with Severe Non-Allergic Eosinophilic Asthma: A Short Report.

ABSTRACT: The bronchial epithelium has continuous contact with environmental agents initiating and maintaining airway type 2 inflammation in asthma. However, there is a lack of data on whether reduced airway eosinophilic inflammation can affect the production of epithelial-derived mediators, such as interleukin-25 (IL-25) and thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP). The aim of this study was to investigate the changes in serum levels of IL-25 and TSLP after a single dose of mepolizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody to interleukin-5 (IL-5), in patients with severe non-allergic eosinophilic asthma (SNEA). We examined 9 SNEA patients before and four weeks after administration of 100?mg mepolizumab subcutaneously. The fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) level was analysed using an electrochemical assay (NIOX VERO®, Circassia, UK). Serum IL-25 and TSLP levels were measured by ELISA. Four weeks after the single dose of mepolizumab, blood eosinophil count significantly decreased from 0.55?±?0.20?×?109/l to 0.14?±?0.04?×?109/l (p = 0.01) and FEV1 increased from 2.1?±?0.5?l (65.4?±?8.8% of predicted) to 2.6?±?0.4?l (76.4?±?9.1% of predicted) (p = 0.04), while FeNO level has not changed (32.3?±?8.4 vs 42.9?±?12.6?ppb). Serum IL-25 level significantly decreased from 48.0?±?17.2?pg/mL to 34.8?±?17.1?pg/mL (p = 0.02) with same tendency in TSLP level: from 359.8?±?71.3?pg/mL to 275.6?±?47.8?pg/mL (p = 0.02). It has also been noticed a significant relation between changes in the blood eosinophil count and serum IL-25 level (r?=?0.81, p = 0.008), as well as between changes in serum IL-25 and TSLP levels (r?=?0.93, p = 0.004) after a single dose of mepolizumab. Thus, anti-IL-5 treatment with mepolizumab might diminish the production of bronchial epithelial-derived cytokines IL-25 and TSLP in patients with SNEA which is potentially related to reduced eosinophilic inflammation. This trial is registered in ClinicalTrial.gov with identifier NCT03388359.

SUBMITTER: Kalinauskaite-Zukauske V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6914925 | biostudies-literature | 2019

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature