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Circulating Dendritic Cells, Farm Exposure and Asthma at Early Age
Author(s) -
Kääriö H.,
Nieminen J. K.,
Karvonen A. M.,
Huttunen K.,
Schröder P. C.,
Vaarala O.,
Mutius E.,
Pfefferle P.I.,
Schaub B.,
Pekkanen J.,
Hirvonen M.R.,
Roponen M.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
scandinavian journal of immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.934
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1365-3083
pISSN - 0300-9475
DOI - 10.1111/sji.12389
Subject(s) - cd86 , immunology , medicine , peripheral blood mononuclear cell , ex vivo , asthma , sensitization , hay fever , in vivo , in vitro , t cell , biology , immune system , microbiology and biotechnology , biochemistry
Farm environment has been shown to protect from childhood asthma. Underlying immunological mechanisms are not clear yet, including the role of dendritic cells ( DC s). The aim was to explore whether asthma and farm exposures are associated with the proportions and functional properties of DC s from 4.5‐year‐old children in a subgroup of the Finnish PASTURE birth cohort study. Myeloid DC s ( mDC s), plasmacytoid DC s ( pDC s) and CD 86 expression on mDC s ex vivo ( n = 100) identified from peripheral blood mononuclear cells ( PBMC s) were analysed using flow cytometry. MDC s and production of interleukin ( IL )‐6 and tumour necrosis factor alpha ( TNF ‐ α ) by mDC s were analysed after 5 h in vitro stimulation with lipopolysaccharide ( LPS ) ( n = 88). Prenatal and current farm exposures (farming, stables, hay barn and farm milk) were assessed from questionnaires. Asthma at age 6 years was defined as a doctor′s diagnosis and symptoms; atopic sensitization was defined by antigen‐specific IgE measurements. Asthma was positively associated with CD 86 expression on mDC s ex vivo [adjusted odds ratio ( aOR ) 4.83, 95% confidence interval ( CI ) 1.51–15.4] and inversely with IL ‐6 production in mDC s after in vitro stimulation with LPS ( aOR 0.19, 95% CI 0.04–0.82). In vitro stimulation with LPS resulted in lower percentage of mDC s in the farm PBMC cultures as compared to non‐farm PBMC cultures. Our results suggest an association between childhood asthma and functional properties of DC s. Farm exposure may have immunomodulatory effects by decreasing mDC proportions.