Oligo‑fucoidan improved unbalance the Th1/Th2 and Treg/Th17 ratios in asthmatic patients: An ex vivo study

Abstract

An imbalance in the helper T cells (Th)1/Th2 and regulatory T cells (Tregs)/Th17 ratios is believed to play a key role in asthmatic inflammatory responses. Fucoidan reportedly reduces the production of inflammatory factors. Nutritional intervention is an important tool in decreasing the severity of asthmatic disease. This study aimed to investigate the beneficial roles of oligo-fucoidan in balancing the T cell subtype ratios and reducing airway inflammation ex vivo. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were collected from 30 asthmatic subjects and 15 healthy subjects. Harvested PBMCs were stimulated and treated with or without oligo-fucoidan (100 or 500 µg/ml) for 48 h. Cell surface and intracellular cytokine markers were examined by flow cytometry. The pro-inflammatory factors in plasma and culture supernatants were measured using ELISA kits. We found that oligo-fucoidan increases the proportion of Th1 and Treg cells, but did not affect the proportion of Th2 and Th17 cells. Oligo-fucoidan also increased the levels of interferon-γ and interleukin-10. Thus, we concluded that oligo-fucoidan might improve the imbalance in Th1/Th2 and Treg/Th17 ratios to reduce airway inflammation, which could be a potential adjuvant therapy for allergic asthma.

Blockade of NF-κB Translocation and of RANKL/RANK Interaction Decreases the Frequency of Th2 and Th17 Cells Capable of IL-4 and IL-17 Production, Respectively, in a Mouse Model of Allergic Asthma

“…Such results indicate that these therapeutic strategies directly decreased IL-4 and IL-17 production by Th2 and Th17 cells, respectively. This finding strongly suggests that both these therapeutic strategies have the potential to break the pathogenesis of allergic asthma at its later stage by the direct inhibitory effect on the production of two cytokines playing a crucial role [ 10 , 11 ] in promoting the development of this disease. In light of the above, one can assume that if the blockade of NF-κB translocation and of RANKL/RANK interaction does not effectively stop the development of allergic asthma at the level of the clonal expansion of CD4 + Teff cells in the MLNs (i.e., in an inductive site of pulmonary immune response), then it can attenuate it at the pulmonary level (i.e., in an effector site of pulmonary immune response) via the inhibitory effect on IL-4- and IL-17 production by lung infiltrating Th2 and Th17 cells, respectively.…”

“…Th17 cells also play a key role in promoting and maintaining airway inflammation. IL-17 is considered to be the main proinflammatory cytokine involved in the pathogenesis of allergic asthma; it plays a critical role in neutrophil and eosinophil recruitment to the lungs [ 11 ]. Although the central role in the pathogenesis of asthma is played by CD4 + T cells, numerous studies prove that CD8 + T cells also participate in the development of the disease [ 12 , 13 , 14 ].…”

Tyrosol improves ovalbumin (OVA)-induced asthma in rat model through prevention of airway inflammation

“…Asthma is a chronic in ammatory disorder of the airways with a change in the T helper (Th) 1/Th2 balance and an imbalance in the ratio between regulatory T cells (Chan et al 2016). It has been reported that while Th2 cells cytokines cause in ammatory responses in the asthmatic airways, Th1 cells can inhibit the development of Th2 cells and reduce the asthma response caused by Th2 (Yang et al 2019). Currently, the protocols used in the treatment of asthma include leukotriene modi ers, glucocorticoids, leukotriene and mast cell stabilizers and besides their serious side effects, they show only symptomatic effects (Salama et al 2012).…”

IL-36 Cytokines: Their Roles in Asthma and Potential as a Therapeutic

“…The Th17/Treg ratio is positively correlated with the severity of AHR in children with asthma, and is associated with worsening asthma (93,94). Huai Qi Huang (a mixture of Chinese herbs), ligustrazine and oligo-fucoidan can regulate the Th1/Th2 and Treg/Th17 imbalance in asthma, and reduce asthma severity (95)(96)(97). Given the essential role of T cells in asthma, researches that target the imbalance of different subsets of T cells show great potential.…”