AUTHOR=Wang Wei , Jing Wei , Liu Qingbin 

TITLE=Astragalus Oral Solution Ameliorates Allergic Asthma in Children by Regulating Relative Contents of CD4+CD25highCD127low Treg Cells

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Pediatrics

VOLUME=6

YEAR=2018

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pediatrics/articles/10.3389/fped.2018.00255

DOI=10.3389/fped.2018.00255

ISSN=2296-2360

ABSTRACT=<p><bold>Objective:</bold> To explore the effects of <italic>Astragalus</italic> oral solution (AOS) on allergic asthma in children by investigating relative contents of CD4<sup>+</sup>CD25<sup>high</sup>CD127<sup>low</sup> Treg cells.</p><p><bold>Methods:</bold> The contents of Astragaloside A in AOS were detected by using HPLC. Eighty children with allergic asthma were recruited from February 2016 to June 2017, and randomly assigned into the control group (received placebo, 0.1% quinine chloride in deionized water, daily) and the AOS group (received 10 mL AOS daily). After 6-month treatment, therapeutic results were compared between the two groups. Serum levels of IL-10 and TGF-beta, Th1 cytokines (IL-2 and IFN-γ), and Th2 cytokines (IL-4 and IL-6) were measured by using ELISA kits. Relative contents of CD4<sup>+</sup>CD25<sup>high</sup>CD127<sup>low</sup> Treg cells were determined by using flow cytometry.</p><p><bold>Results:</bold> Astragaloside A was the main ingredient of AOS with 0.216 ± 0.027 mg/mL from six-batch samples. After 6-month therapy, the AOS group showed improved forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) and the Pediatric Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire (PAQLQ) scores compared with the control group (<italic>P</italic> &lt; 0.05). Serum level of IL-10 was higher and the levels of TGF-beta, Th1 cytokines (IL-2 and IFN-γ), and Th2 cytokines (IL-4 and IL-6) were lower in the AOS group than in the control group (<italic>P</italic> &lt; 0.05). AOS treatment increased the percentage of gated CD4<sup>+</sup> T cells, CD4<sup>+</sup>CD25<sup>+</sup> T cells, CD4<sup>+</sup>CD25<sup>high</sup> Treg cells, CD4<sup>+</sup>CD25<sup>+</sup>FoxP3<sup>+</sup> Treg cells and CD4<sup>+</sup>CD25<sup>high</sup>CD127<sup>low</sup> Treg cells when compared with the control group (<italic>P</italic> &lt; 0.05).</p><p><bold>Conclusions:</bold> Astragaloside A was the main component of AOS, and AOS ameliorated allergic asthma in children by regulating relative contents of CD4<sup>+</sup>CD25<sup>high</sup>CD127<sup>low</sup> Treg cells.</p>