Corticosteroids are anti-inflammatory drugs that are used to treat individuals with allergies, asthma, autoimmune diseases, or organ transplants. These compounds have a wide range of effects on leukocytes and on inflammatory cytokine production. One common use for corticosteroids is as an inhaled treatment for individuals with asthma. Interestingly, inhaled corticosteroids provide significant benefit to asthma patients with high numbers of eosinophils in their airways, but not to those patients with high numbers of neutrophils, but normal numbers of eosinophils. One reason for this finding may be that: A) Corticosteroids don't inhibit IL-13 production in the airways B) Corticosteroids don't inhibit release of IL-33 by airway epithelial cells C) Corticosteroids induce apoptosis of T_reg cells D) Corticosteroids induce apoptosis of eosinophils E) Corticosteroids don't work well as combination therapy with other immunosuppressants

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Corticosteroids have been shown to induce apoptosis (programmed cell death) of eosinophils, which are often elevated in the airways of individuals with asthma. Neutrophils, on the other hand, are not affected by corticosteroids in this way. IL-13 and IL-33 are both cytokines involved in the inflammatory response in asthma, but corticosteroids are known to inhibit their production and release, respectively. Apoptosis of T_reg cells is not a known effect of corticosteroids. Combination therapy with other immunosuppressants may be effective in some cases, but this is not the reason why inhaled corticosteroids are more effective in patients with high eosinophil counts than in those with high neutrophil counts.

Corticosteroids Are Anti-Inflammatory Drugs That Are Used to Treat Individuals