TY - JOUR
T1 - Passive exposure to smoke results in defective interferon- production by adenoids in children with recurrent respiratory infections
AU - Marseglia, Gian Luigi
AU - Avanzini, Maria Antonietta
AU - Caimmi, Silvia
AU - Caimmi, Davide
AU - Marseglia, Alessia
AU - Valsecchi, Chiara
AU - Poddighe, Dimitri
AU - Ciprandi, Giorgio
AU - Pagella, Fabio
AU - Klersy, Catherine
AU - Castellazzi, Anna Maria
PY - 2009/8/1
Y1 - 2009/8/1
N2 - There is evidence that exposure to passive smoke is associated with an increased susceptibility to respiratory infections. Indeed, cigarette smoke extracts may interfere with the immune system, even though the precise mechanism has not been fully understood yet. Recurrent respiratory infections may be sustained by a defective immune response. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether, in a cohort of children presenting both with recurrent respiratory infections and with a history of exposure to tobacco smoke, these factors were related to a lower local production of interferon- (IFN-) when compared to a similar non-exposed population. The study group included 128 children undergoing adenoidectomy, presenting with more than three respiratory infections per year, independently of exposure to passive smoke at home. The intracellular cytokine profile of lymphocyte subsets in adenoids was evaluated by flow cytometry analysis. Children exposed to tobacco smoke suffered from a significantly greater number of respiratory infections and had a lower percentage of IFN - producing CD8+ cells in adenoids than non-exposed children, while other T-cell subsets were not affected. The effect of smoke exposure seems to be specific to the IFN - producing CD8+ cells in adenoids and may contribute to the increased susceptibility to the recurrence of respiratory infections.
AB - There is evidence that exposure to passive smoke is associated with an increased susceptibility to respiratory infections. Indeed, cigarette smoke extracts may interfere with the immune system, even though the precise mechanism has not been fully understood yet. Recurrent respiratory infections may be sustained by a defective immune response. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether, in a cohort of children presenting both with recurrent respiratory infections and with a history of exposure to tobacco smoke, these factors were related to a lower local production of interferon- (IFN-) when compared to a similar non-exposed population. The study group included 128 children undergoing adenoidectomy, presenting with more than three respiratory infections per year, independently of exposure to passive smoke at home. The intracellular cytokine profile of lymphocyte subsets in adenoids was evaluated by flow cytometry analysis. Children exposed to tobacco smoke suffered from a significantly greater number of respiratory infections and had a lower percentage of IFN - producing CD8+ cells in adenoids than non-exposed children, while other T-cell subsets were not affected. The effect of smoke exposure seems to be specific to the IFN - producing CD8+ cells in adenoids and may contribute to the increased susceptibility to the recurrence of respiratory infections.
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U2 - 10.1089/jir.2008.0108
DO - 10.1089/jir.2008.0108
M3 - Article
C2 - 19514840
AN - SCOPUS:68949111654
VL - 29
SP - 427
EP - 431
JO - Journal of Interferon and Cytokine Research
JF - Journal of Interferon and Cytokine Research
SN - 1079-9907
IS - 8
ER -