Effect of prolonged use of inhaled steroids on the cellular immunity of children with asthma.

Background: Systemic corticosteroids may affect the cellular immunity, but there is no available controlled data on such effects associated with a prolonged use of inhaled corticosteroids.

Objective: The investigation was designed to study the effect of long-term inhaled beclomethasone dipropionate in daily doses of up to 600 micrograms on cellular immune functions.

Methods: Twenty-four children with asthma treated with inhaled beclomethasone dipropionate for a mean of 22.6 months were compared with 16 children with asthma not treated with an inhaled steroid and with 20 healthy adults. Cellular immune parameters included differential white blood count, T- and B-cell numbers, T helper and suppressor counts, T-cell mitogenic transformation, and interleukin-1 and interleukin-2 secretion.

Results: There was no difference in any of the studied cellular immune functions among the three study groups.

Conclusion: Long-term use of inhaled beclomethasone dipropionate by children with asthma, at daily doses of up to 600 micrograms, has no effect on certain parameters of cellular immunity.