Correlation of OX40 ligand on B cells with serum total IgE and IL-4 levels by CD4(+) T cells in allergic rhinitis

Abstract

Introduction and objectives: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a classic Th2-mediated disease, with important contributions to the pathology of interleukins 4, 5, and 13. The co-stimulatory molecule of OX40 and its ligand interaction participate in the immune response by regulation of Th1/Th2 cells balance. Considering the paucity of information on the relation between OX40 ligand (OX4OL) and AR, this study aimed to examine its expression on B lymphocytes. Patients and methods: This case-control study consisted of 20 AR patients and 20 healthy subjects. The serum level of total immunoglobulin E (IgE) was measured using the electrochemiluminescence (ECL) technology. The percentage of B-lymphocytes expressing OX4OL was assessed by flow cytometry. The amounts of IL-4 in CD4(+) T cells culture supernatant was also measured by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Results: OX4OL expression on B lymphocytes of patients was significantly higher than the control group (44.32 +/- 19.21 vs. 2.79 +/- 2.48 respectively, p< 0.001). In AR patients, OX4OL expression correlated positively with the levels of serum total IgE and IL-4 produced by CD4(+) T lymphocytes (p <0.01-p< 0.05) respectively. Conclusions: Collectively, the findings of this work suggest that there is a relationship between the OX4OL expression level on B lymphocytes and allergic markers such as IgE and IL-4 in patients with allergic rhinitis. (C) 2018 SEICAP. Published by Elsevier Espana, S. L. U. All rights reserved.