RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Blunted γδ T-lymphocyte response in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
JF European Respiratory Journal
JO Eur Respir J
FD European Respiratory Society
SP 441
OP 446
DO 10.1183/09031936.05.00069304
VO 25
IS 3
A1 J. Pons
A1 J. Sauleda
A1 J. M. Ferrer
A1 B. Barceló
A1 A. Fuster
A1 V. Regueiro
A1 M. R. Julià
A1 A. G. N. Agustí
YR 2005
UL http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/25/3/441.abstract
AB Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterised by an excessive inflammatory response to inhaled particles, mostly tobacco smoking. Although inflammation is present in all smokers, only a percentage of them develop COPD. T-lymphocytes are important effector and regulatory cells that participate actively in the inflammatory response of COPD. They comprise the T-cell receptor (TCR)-αβ (CD4+ and CD8+) and TCR-γδ T-lymphocytes. The latter represent a small percentage of the total T-cell population, but play a key role in tissue repair and mucosal homeostasis. To investigate TCR-αβ (CD4+ and CD8+) and TCR-γδ T-lymphocytes in COPD, the present authors determined, by flow cytometry, the distribution of both subpopulations in peripheral blood and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) samples obtained from patients with COPD, smokers with normal lung function and never-smokers. The present study found that: 1) the distribution of CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes in blood and BAL was similar in all three groups; 2) compared with nonsmokers, γδ T-lymphocytes were significantly increased in smokers with preserved lung function; and 3) this response was blunted in patients with COPD. These results highlight a novel, potentially relevant, pathogenic mechanism in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.