Relationship between serum IgA levels and low percentage forced expiratory volume in the first second in asthma.

Immunoglobulin A (IgA) is suggested to have pathogenic effects in respiratory inflammatory diseases, including asthma. We aimed to analyze the relationship between serum IgA, and clinical indicators and biomarkers of asthma. This study was a post hoc analysis of the NHOM Asthma Study.

Low Serum IL-18 Levels May Predict the Effectiveness of Dupilumab in Severe Asthma.

Objective Dupilumab, a monoclonal antibody specific for the human interleukin (IL)-4 receptor α, is used to treat severe asthma, especially in patients with elevated blood eosinophil counts and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO). The therapeutic response to dupilumab is highly variable. In this study, we explored new serum biomarkers to accurately predict the effect of dupilumab and examine the effect of dupilumab based on changes in the clinical parameters and cytokine levels.

Leptin-producing monocytes in the airway submucosa may contribute to asthma pathogenesis.

Background: Obesity leads to an increase in the incidence and severity of asthma. Adipokines, such as leptin, secreted by adipocytes induce systemic inflammation, causing airway inflammation. We previously reported that leptin activates both inflammatory and structural cells, including lung fibroblasts.

Evaluation of cytokine levels in response to mitogen among HIV-1-infected blood cells and their relationships to the number of T cells.

Background: Human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) infection causes loss and anergy of CD4 and CD8 T cells, leading to opportunistic infections, including tuberculosis (TB). QuantiFERON®-TB (QFT) is used as a diagnostic tool to detect TB, but it exhibits limited accuracy among subjects with low CD4 T cell numbers, including HIV-1-infected individuals. The present study aimed to determine the effect of HIV-1 infection and patients' blood T cell numbers on cytokine production in response to mitogen (Mit) stimulation.

High serum cytokine levels may predict the responsiveness of patients with severe asthma to benralizumab.

Objective: Benralizumab, a humanized monoclonal antibody against human IL-5 receptor alpha, is effective in treating eosinophilic severe asthma. However, patients' response to benralizumab varies widely. In this study, we aimed to identify a new serum biomarker to accurately predict benralizumab response.

IL-1RA in the supernatant of QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube and QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus is useful for discriminating active tuberculosis from latent infection.

Introduction: The new-generation QuantiFERON (QFT)-TB Gold Plus (QFT-Plus) is expected to be useful because it includes a new peptide that is supposed to induce a CD8 T cell response. There is a need for a new marker with sensitivity higher than that of the conventional IFN-γ release assays owing to false-negative results in the latter. This study aimed to compare cytokines in QFT-plus and QuantiFERON-Gold In-Tube (QFT-GIT) supernatants to discriminate between active tuberculosis and latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI).

A Low Serum CCL4/MIP-1β Level May Predict a Severe Asthmatic Responsiveness to Mepolizumab.

Objective Mepolizumab, a humanized anti-interleukin-5 monoclonal antibody, is effective for treating eosinophilic severe asthma. However, there is a need for more biomarkers that can predict the patient response to mepolizumab before starting therapy. This study aimed to identify a new biomarker in the serum that is able to accurately predict the responsiveness to mepolizumab.

Evaluation of cytokine levels using QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus in patients with active tuberculosis.

Objectives: A recently released new QuantiFERON (QFT) product, QFT TB Gold plus (QFT-plus), is optimized for both CD4 and CD8 responses and reported to have higher sensitivity compared to the former QFT-3 G. Previously, using supernatants of QFT-3 G, we and others have demonstrated that cytokines other than IFN-γ may be useful in diagnosing tuberculosis. The present study aimed to identify cytokines that are useful for accurately diagnosing active tuberculosis by using QFT-plus and compared the data to those with QFT-3 G.

Baseline serum CXCL10 and IL-12 levels may predict severe asthmatics' responsiveness to omalizumab.

Background: Omalizumab, a humanized anti-IgE monoclonal antibody, is the first molecularly targeted drug for severe asthmatics. However, responses to omalizumab vary widely among patients.

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the potential of baseline serum cytokine levels as predictors of responsiveness to omalizumab.