RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Soluble FasL and Fas+ lymphocytes in peripheral blood of non-smoking patients with COPD JF European Respiratory Journal JO Eur Respir J FD European Respiratory Society SP P845 VO 44 IS Suppl 58 A1 Anatoli Tahanovich A1 Aliaksei Kadushkin YR 2014 UL http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/44/Suppl_58/P845.abstract AB Background. Fas/FasL pathway is considered to play an important role in the apoptosis of immune cells, including T-cells. However its role has not been studied in non-smoking patients with COPD.Aim. To evaluate the proportion of T-lymphocytes expressing Fas (CD95) and sFasL level in peripheral blood of non-smoking and smoking patients with COPD.Methods. We examined 21 non-smokers with COPD, 20 smokers with COPD, 20 healthy non-smokers and 21 healthy smokers. For analysis of lymphocytes subtypes the flow cytometry was used. The level of sFasL in plasma was measuredby ELISA.Results. There was an increase in blood T-cells expressing Fas receptors in patients with COPD irrespective of smoking status. Increased proportion of CD8+CD95+ cells and elevated level of sFasL were observed only in non-smoking COPD patients compared to non-smoking healthy control subjects. The percentages of CD3+CD95+ and CD8+CD95+ lymphocytes and sFas level were significantly higher in blood of non-smoking patients with COPD compared to COPD smokers. There was a significant positive correlation between level of sFasL and proportions of CD3+CD95+ and CD8+CD95+ cells in the combined group (smokers and non-smokers) of patients with COPD. Patients (smokers and non-smokers combined) with high and very high impact level of COPD on health status (according to the results of CAT, COPD Assessment Test) had significantly higher proportion of CD95+ T-cells than patients with low and medium impact level.Conclusion. The results of the study indicate smoking-independent alterations in expression ofCD95+ on blood T-cells in COPD patients and reveal some differences in the pathogenesis of COPD between smokers and non-smokers.