Heterogeneous Effects of Histamine on Proliferation of Lung- and Blood-derived T-Cell Clones from Healthy and Asthmatic Persons

We have studied the effect of histamine on the proliferation and the intracellular cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) levels of T-lymphocyte clones (TLC) generated from bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) or peripheral blood (PB) from healthy and asthmatic persons. TLC from either compartment and from both groups of donors were heterogeneous in their response to histamine. In BALF-derived TLC, three types of responses were observed: histamine inhibited, stimulated, or did not modulate the anti-CD3-induced proliferation. Histamine directly and dose dependently inhibited the anti-CD3-induced proliferation of six (two asthmatic) of 12 CD4+ BALF TLC, stimulated two BALF TLC (both nonasthmatic), and did not modulate the proliferation of four BALF TLC. The maximal inhibition was 70%, the maximal stimulation 200%, both at 10-3 M histamine. The stimulation of proliferation was associated with increased interleukin-2 (IL-2) production, whereas the inhibition of proliferation was associated with decreased IL-2 p...