IMMUNOLOGICAL FEATURES OF ALLERGIC BRONCHOPULMONARY ASPERGILLOSIS IN PATIENTS WITH BRONCHIAL ASTHMA
Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) is a lung disease caused by hypersensitivity to Aspergillus spp, which complicates the course of bronchial asthma and cystic fibrosis. According to experts, the number of patients with ABPA in the world is about four million people, in the Russian Federation - one hundred seventy-five thousand. The immunopathogenesis of ABPA in patients with asthma is studied insufficiently. We carried out the immunophenotyping of lymphocytes by flow cytometry and study of cytokine production in patients with ABPA and asthma. Unidirectional changes were established: the decrease of the absolute and relative amount of NK-cells, production of IFN-α and IFN-γ, increase of the NKT cells number and of the total IgE levels. In patients with ABPA was revealed the increased of IL-10 production on the background of reduce secretion of IFN-γ in response to the allergens of A. fumigatus. Thus, the cytokine levels may serve as predictive biomarkers of disease and to be used in monitoring of ABPA therapy.