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

Abstract

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