CD203c expression on human basophils is associated with asthma exacerbation

doi:10.1016/j.jaci.2009.10.074

Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology

Volume 125, Issue 2, February 2010, Pages 483-489.e3

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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaci.2009.10.074 Get rights and content

Background

CD203c is a basophil cell surface marker used to diagnose and monitor various allergic diseases, but its relationship to asthma is not clear.

Objective

We determined whether CD203c expression levels are associated with stable and exacerbated asthma.

Methods

We used flow cytometry to compare spontaneous expression levels of surface markers on basophils from patients with stable or exacerbated asthma and from healthy subjects. Longitudinal changes in these expression levels were measured after basophil stimulation by IgE-dependent or IgE-independent mechanisms and compared with patients' asthma status.

Results

Spontaneous expression levels of CD203c were significantly higher on basophils from patients with asthma exacerbation than patients with stable asthma or healthy subjects. In contrast, no differences in spontaneous expression levels of CD63 or CD69 were observed among the 3 groups. Anti-IgE–induced expression of CD203c significantly increased in basophils during asthma exacerbation (P = .005). Low concentrations of Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus or IL-3 induced higher expression levels of CD203c during asthma exacerbation than during clinical improvement; induction of CD203c expression by these antigens therefore correlates with asthma control. In the patients with clinical improvement, there was a correlation between spontaneous CD203c expression levels and the percent predicted values of FEV₁ (r = -0.761; P = .022).

Conclusion

Asthma exacerbation was accompanied by increased expression of CD203c on basophils that decreased significantly during remission. Basophil expression levels of CD203c might therefore be used to monitor asthma in patients.

Section snippets

Subjects

We conducted a hospital-based, prospective study from August to December 2008 in 28 patients with asthma exacerbation. They were recruited from the emergency or outpatient department of the Pulmonology-Allergy Department at Sagamihara National Hospital. The diagnoses of asthma and asthma exacerbation were based on clinical history, symptoms, examination findings, and pulmonary function parameters, in accordance with international guidelines.¹¹ Inclusion criteria were an asthma history of at

Patient characteristics

Background data from the subjects enrolled in this study are summarized in Table I. Among the 28 patients with asthma exacerbation, 4 were excluded: 2 had bacterial pneumonia, 1 had eosinophilic pneumonia, and 1 had prolonged asthma exacerbation after routine therapy. None were excluded based on failed upregulation of CD203c expression. In total, 24 patients with asthma exacerbation, 16 patients with stable asthma, and 11 healthy control subjects were enrolled in this study. We measured FEV₁

Discussion

CD203c, a multifunctional ectoenzyme, belongs to the type II transmembrane protein family.⁷ Because the CD203c expression level rapidly increases on the basophil membrane after cross-linking of FcεRI, it is assumed that CD203c is stored intracellularly and transported to the cell surface after activation. The biological significance and potential functions of CD203c are unknown; it has not been established whether CD203c expression is an essential event or a secondary episode of basophil

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Based on released MPs, mast cells, platelets, and basophils were more highly activated in patients with AERD than in patients with CRS. Epithelial injury was lower in patients with CRSwNP than in patients with CRSsNP and AERD. MP analysis may help identify phenotypes of CRS, and in distinguishing AERD from CRSwNP.
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Biomarkers of disease activity have come into wide use in the study of mechanisms of human disease and in clinical medicine to both diagnose and predict disease course; as well as to monitor response to therapeutic intervention. Here we review biomarkers of the involvement of mast cells, basophils, and eosinophils in human allergic inflammation. Included are surface markers of cell activation as well as specific products of these inflammatory cells that implicate specific cell types in the inflammatory process and are of possible value in clinical research as well as within decisions made in the practice of allergy-immunology.
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: Disclosure of potential conflict of interest: The authors have declared that they have no conflict of interest.

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Mechanisms of allergy and clinical immunologyCD203c expression on human basophils is associated with asthma exacerbation

Background

Objective

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Section snippets

Subjects

Patient characteristics

Discussion

J Allergy Clin Immunol

J Allergy Clin Immunol

J Allergy Clin Immunol

J Allergy Clin Immunol

Biochem Biophys Res Commun

Prostaglandin Leukot Essent Fatty Acids

J Biol Chem

Cell

Appearance of basophils in sputum of patients with bronchial asthma

Clin Allergy

Accumulation of basophils and their chemotactic activity in the airways during natural airway narrowing in asthmatic individuals

Am J Respir Crit Care Med

Correlation among urinary eosinophil protein X, leukotriene E4, and 11-dehydrothromboxane B2 in patients with spontaneous asthmatic attack

Clin Exp Allergy

The flow-cytometric determination of basophil activation induced by aspirin and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) is useful for in vitro diagnosis of the NSAIDs persensitivity syndrome

Clin Exp Allergy

Mechanisms of allergy and clinical immunology
CD203c expression on human basophils is associated with asthma exacerbation