Abstract. Chemokines are a key factor that ensures the participation of different cell types in the immunological protection of mucosa. In our study we chose some chemokines that ensured the chemotaxis of neutrophils (CXCL8/IL-8), eosinophils (CCL11/eotaxin, CCL24/eotaxin-2), monocytes and T-lymphocytes (CCL3/MIP-1α, CCL4/MIP-1β, CCL5/RANTES), as well as their receptors (CCR1, CCR3, CCR5, CXCR1, CXCR2). mRNA expression of chemokines and their receptors in nasopharyngeal mucosa brush-biopsy specimens determined by RT-PCR in healthy persons, the level of the same chemokines in serum determined by multiplex chemiluminescent assay were analyzed according to smoking. The level of mRNA expression of IL-8 (p < 0.001) and RANTES (p < 0.001) in nasopharynx brush-biopsy specimens and serum levels of IL-8 (p < 0.0001) of smokers were significantly lower as compared with nonsmokers. Correlation analysis showed the dependence of the chemokine synthesis on the factor of smoking: the index of smoking (pack/years) is negatively correlated with mRNA levels of IL-8 (r = -0,67 p = 0,003) and RANTES (r = -0,58, p = 0,015) in nasopharynx brush-biopsy specimens and serum concentration of IL-8 (r = -0,89, p = 0,0000002). Thus, these data offer that smokers manifested a defect of the local synthesis of RANTES and IL-8 in nasopharyngeal mucosa in combination with systemic defect of IL-8 production in peripheral blood, that can lead to chronization of bacterial infection and prolonged persistence of viral infection. (Med. Immunol., 2011, vol. 13, N 6, pp 617-622)

Abstract. A group of patients with bronchial asthma (BA) was under investigation, being classified according to their disease activity, and exacerbation risk factors. We studied expression of specific mRNAs for chemokines and their receptors in nasopharyngeal mucosa (n = 70) and amounts of those chemokines in blood serum (n = 59). In the patients with BA exacerbations after acute respiratory infections, an increased expression of eotaxin, MIP-1α, MIP-1β, CXCR1 mRNAs was observed, along with decreased CCR3 mRNA, as compared to a control group. In blood serum of these patients, a decreased levels of eotaxin and MIP-1β mRNA was accompanied by increase of MIP-1β and eotaxin-2 amounts. For the patients with allergen-provoked BA attacks, an increased expression of eotaxin, eotaxin-2, MIP-1β, CXCR1, CXCR1 was revealed, as well as decreased CCR1 mRNA expression, whereas serum samples showed significantly decreased contents of eotaxin and MIP-1β, along with increase in MIP-1α, RANTES and eotaxin-2 mRNAs. In BA remission state, a decreased mRNA expression was found for eotaxin, CCR1 and CXCR2 was observed, with increased serum contents of MIP-1α, RANTES and eotaxin-2. Hence, the changes of chemokine system detected in BA may be sought as markers of the disease exacerbation, depending on its primary origin, as well as potential biomarkers of the disease itself.

Introduction: Mechanism of BA onset and progression at different ages are still poorly understood. System of chemokines in upper airways is a tempting object of investigation BA pathogenesis. Methods: We examined 70 patients with asthma. The patients age ranged from 16 to 74 years. Were studied 31 men and 39 women. The control group used brush-biopsy 17 healthy volunteers with no history of atopic diseases. Were studied mRNA of eotaxin, eotaxin-2, MIP-1α, MIP-1β, RANTES, CCR1, CCR3, CCR5, CXCR1, and CXCR2. Results: A study in patients with asthma was revealed a significant increase in eotaxin mRNA expression (p = 0.045), eotaxin-2 (0.036), MIP-1α (0.0003), MIP-1β (0.002) and CXCR1 (0.004) compared with healthy volunteers. At the same time CCR1 gene expression in patients with asthma was reduced compared with control. To study the age dynamics of the asthma patients were divided into 4 groups: first group - 16-25 years (n = 14), the second group - 26-39 years (n = 14), the third group - 40-53 years (n = 21) and the fourth group - 54-74 years (n = 21). Eotaxin-2 had wave-like dynamics depending on patents age. MIP-1α was lowest in the second and third groups, and in the first and fourth - were significantly higher. The values of MIP-1β - the lowest in the first group with increasing age became more and peaked in the fourth group. mRNA of CCR1 and CXCR1 was significantly decreased in the second group compared to the first, meanwhile in the third and fourth ones levels of mRNA of both receptors increases depending on the age of the patients. Conclusion: The state of chemokines and relative receptors gene expression in upper airways reflects age features of BA pathogenesis.