title: Lymphocyte activation in bronchoalveolar lavage and peripheral blood in atopic asthma.
abstract: To study the role of T lymphocytes in atopic asthma we have examined cell populations in peripheral blood and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) from 12 atopic asthmatics and 10 healthy volunteers using flow cytometry and a panel of monoclonal antibodies directed toward T-cell surface antigens. BAL from asthmatics contained more eosinophils (mean, 0.54 +/- 11.2 x 10(6) versus 0.06 +/- 0.08 x 10(6) absolute count, p less than 0.05), but no greater total or percent of T lymphocytes. There was no difference between the two groups in the relative numbers of CD4+ or CD8+ T cells. However, there was a significant increase in the mean number of BAL CD3+ lymphocytes expressing the activation markers interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R, CD25) (8.48 versus 4.37%, p less than 0.01) and human lymphocyte antigen-DR (11.08 versus 7.74%, p less than 0.05) in the asthmatics. In contrast to lavage cells, there was no difference in CD3+ cell activation markers in the peripheral blood. These findings suggest that T-lymphocyte activation occurs within the airways in symptomatic atopic asthma.
authors.affiliation: Southampton University General Hospital, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Djukanović
authors.forename: P H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Howarth
authors.forename: S T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Holgate
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001249:Asthma / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000166:cytology*; D004804:Eosinophils / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000032:analysis; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2