Atopic disease is associated with skewing of immune response away from a Th1 toward Th2 profile. Although a small number of atopic children develop chronic asthma, atopic asthma is characterized by production of Th2 cytokines and reduction of Th1 cytokine. In order to investigate the role of T-bet (Th1) and GATA-3 (Th2) in the development of asthma, a prospective analysis of the postnatal maturation of Th1 and Th2 response to mite allergen (Derp 2) from birth to 8 years old were performed.

We measure T-bet and GATA-3 expression by RT-PCR after peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNCs) response to mite allergen Derp 2 in blood samples from birth to 8 years old.

In the mite-specific IgE <0.35 KU/L or >100 KU/L children, T-bet expression revealed difference with age increasing in the asthmatic and non-asthmatic groups. Among the non-asthmatic children, T-bet expression of both increased with age (p<0.05 or p<0.01), especially in the age of 6–8 (p<0.05), but not in the asthmatic ones. However, we also found that in IFN-γ mRNA and protein. Nonetheless, we did not find any difference in GATA-3 (p>0.05).

Patients with severe atopic asthma have a reduced mite-induced Th1 response, whereas those with resolved asthma are in exclusive of this response. This suggests that reduced T-bet mRNA expression and induced decreasing IFN-γ production might be an important factor contributing to ongoing severe atopic asthma.