PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Piotr Kopinski AU - Andrzej Dyczek AU - Grzegorz Przybylski AU - Barbara Balicka-Slusarczyk AU - Agnieszka Jarzemska AU - Tomasz Wandtke AU - Ewelina Pόlgesek AU - Magda Igielska TI - Mechanisms of impaired immune surveillance in lower airways of smokers. Data from bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) harvested in selected interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) and control group DP - 2011 Sep 01 TA - European Respiratory Journal PG - p4765 VI - 38 IP - Suppl 55 4099 - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/38/Suppl_55/p4765.short 4100 - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/38/Suppl_55/p4765.full SO - Eur Respir J2011 Sep 01; 38 AB - Background: Cigarette smoke is recognized as a cause of lung tumors, due to its carcinogenic potential. Less is known about suppressed local immune surveillance.Methods: Alveolar lymphocytes (AL) were obtained by bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) in pulmonary sarcoidosis (PS, n=36), idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF, n=21) and control subjects (n=13), subdivided according to smoking status. Cytokines suspected for potential impact on antitumor immunity (TNFα, IFNγ and TGFβ) were tested by ELISA in BAL supernatants. AL were phenotyped for major subsets and cytokine receptors. AL apoptosis was examined with TUNEL and cell cycle analysis.Results: AL apoptosis rate was reduced in PS (0.7±0.2%, p<0.05) and increased in IPF (2.3±1.0%, p<0.02) nonsmokers, as compared to controls (1.1±0.3). Cigarette smoking in all groups resulted in significant increase of AL apoptosis rate (e.g. 11±7.5% in IPF smokers, p<0.05 as compared to nonsmokers). IFNγ levels were lower in all smoking subgroups than in respective nonsmokers. No changes were found in TGFβ and TNFα levels, but AL expression of TGF (CD105) and TNF (CD120a) receptors was higher in smoker subgroups (significant for CD105 in IPF and CD120a in PS).Conclusions: The decreased immune surveillance in smokers lower airways include higher AL apoptosis rate and increased AL susceptibility to TGFβ and proapoptotic stimuli. Our findings suggest relative Th2 prevalence in smoker subgroups. It may be responsible for severe course of IPF, blunted PS symptoms and, in general, increased risk of local carcinogenesis.