Modification of surface antigens in blood CD8+-T-lymphocytes in COPD - effects of smoking

¹ University of Cologne, Clinic III for Internal Medicine, Dept of Pneumology, Cologne, Germany
² Thoracic Medicine, Imperial College at National Heart & Lung Institute, London, UK
³ University of Cologne, Clinic I for Internal Medicine, Dept of Haematology, Cologne, Germany
⁴ Bayer Ltd, Stoke Court, Berkshire, UK

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: andrea.koch{at}uni-koeln.de.

	Abstract

In contrast to the effects of cigarette smoke on T-lymphocyte subsets in the airways, we still do not know whether smoking has immunomodulatory effects on surface antigens of peripheral blood T-lymphocytes and if so, whether these effects differ in smokers with and without COPD.

We therefore examined the expression of the surface activation marker CD28, the numbers of cytotoxic effector lymphocytes (CD27^-/CD45RA⁺) and expression of the Tc1-specific chemokine receptor CXCR₃⁺ on peripheral blood CD8⁺-T-lymphocytes using parallel flow cytometry. We also studied chemotactic activity of CD8⁺-T-lymphocytes to MCP-1 using a Boyden chamber method and compared 13 non-smoking controls, 12 smokers with COPD and 14 smokers without airflow limitation.

There was a decrease in the total count of CD8⁺-T-cells and an increase in the CD4⁺/CD8⁺-ratio in smokers with COPD compared to smokers without COPD and controls. Expression of the Tc1-specific chemokine receptor CXCR₃⁺ by CD8⁺ T-cells was increased in smokers with COPD compared to smokers without COPD and controls.

The expression of activated and of cytotoxic effector CD8⁺ T-cells in smokers with and without COPD was increased compared with controls. CD8⁺-T-cells from smokers with and without COPD showed a decrease in chemotactic activity to MCP-1 compared to controls.

In conclusion COPD may be a systemic immunomodulatory disease associated with modification of surface antigens in blood CD8⁺-T-lymphocytes.

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