Elevated Soluble CD86 Protein In Sera Of Patients With Asthma

Objective The aim of the present study was to investigate the concentrations of soluble (s) CD86 in sera of patients with bronchial asthma, and the correlation between sCD86 concentrations and clinical measures of asthma. Methods We determined serum sCD86 concentrations in 52 asthmatics and in 25 nonatopic normal volunteers using enzyme-linked imrnunosorbent assay, and analyzed the relationship of serum sCD86 concentrations to asthma severity, pulmonary function, and white blood counts and differentials. Results Sera from patients with acute exacerbation asthma had much higher levels of sCD86 (585.4 + 20.5 IU/ml) than sera from stable asthmatics (479.6 + 15.7 IU/ml, p < 0.001) and healthy individuals (435.1 + 13.8 IU/ml, p < 0.001), and there was no difference between the two latters (p = 0.079). In asthmatic patients, the serum sCD86 level was inversely correlated with PC20-Mch values, %FEV,, %PEF, and with PaCO2. In addition, the serum sCD86 level was positively correlated with numbers of lymphocytes, monocytes, or eosinophils, but not of neutrophils. Conclusions The serum sCD86 protein level was significantly elevated in asthmatics during exacerbation, and that this level correlated with the severity of asthma. These findings suggest that the serum sCD86 level may reflect the inflammatory severity. Our results also suggested sCD86 might derive from lymphocytes, eosinophils and monocytes in the peripheral blood.