Role of interferon homeostasis in the pathogenesis of bronchial asthma in children.

Interferon homeostasis was studied in children with bronchial asthma (BA) at different stages of the disease. The control group consisted of 10 children with no predisposition to atopic reaction. Children with BA showed a disfunction of interferon homeostasis, with a significant decline in the leukocyte ability to produce IFN-alpha and IFN-gamma. The concentration of blood serum IFN-gamma was reduced at all stages of BA, with a more significant decrease during BA attacks than during the remission period. IFN-gamma synthesis disturbances in BA children were stable and resistant to therapeutic treatment by recombinant IFN-alpha2b (Viferon). Viferon normalized the production of IFN-alpha, and the effect remained unchanged during a half-year examination period. Thus, Viferon appears promising as part of a complex therapy for children with BA at remission stages and frequent respiratory infections.