Phenotypic analysis of lymphocytes and monocytes/macrophages in peripheral blood and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis.
BACKGROUND
The granulomatous inflammation in sarcoidosis is driven by the interplay between T cells and macrophages. To gain a better understanding of this process the expression by these cells of cell surface activation markers, co-stimulatory molecules, and adhesion molecules was analysed.


METHODS
CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes from peripheral blood (PBL) or bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid, as well as paired peripheral blood monocytes and alveolar macrophages from 27 patients with sarcoidosis were analysed by flow cytometry.


RESULTS
CD26, CD54, CD69, CD95, and gp240 were all overexpressed in T cells from BAL fluid compared with those from PBL in both the CD4+ and CD8+ subsets, while CD57 was overexpressed only in BAL CD4+ cells. In contrast, CD28 tended to be underexpressed in the BAL T cells. Monocyte/macrophage markers included CD11a, CD11b, CD11c, CD14, CD16, CD54, CD71, CD80 and CD86 and HLA class II. CD11a expression in alveolar macrophages (and peripheral blood monocytes) was increased in patients with active disease and correlated positively with the percentage of BAL lymphocytes. Expression of CD80 in macrophages correlated with the BAL CD4/CD8 ratio.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data indicate substantial activation of both CD4+ and CD8+ lung T cells in sarcoidosis. There were also increased numbers of BAL lymphocytes whose phenotypic characteristics have earlier been associated with clonally expanded, replicatively senescent cells of the Th1 type.
Wahlström
J
J
Microbiology and Tumour Biology Centre, Karolinska Institutet, S-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden.
Berlin
M
M
Sköld
C M
CM
Wigzell
H
H
Eklund
A
A
Grunewald
J
J
D000069594:Abatacept; D000328:Adult; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000032:analysis; D000943:Antigens, Differentiation / Q000032:analysis; D000944:Antigens, Differentiation, B-Lymphocyte / Q000032:analysis; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / Q000032:analysis; D051940:B7-2 Antigen; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000276:immunology; D018845:CD11 Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D018106:CD28 Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D018959:CD57 Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D060908:CTLA-4 Antigen; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000032:analysis; D018819:Dipeptidyl Peptidase 4 / Q000032:analysis; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D018796:Immunoconjugates; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D018950:Lipopolysaccharide Receptors / Q000032:analysis; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D016676:Macrophages, Alveolar / Q000276:immunology; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000032:analysis; D008875:Middle Aged; D017452:Receptors, IgG / Q000032:analysis; D011990:Receptors, Transferrin; D017565:Sarcoidosis, Pulmonary / Q000276:immunology*; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000032:analysis; D000099192:CD69 Antigens
D000069594:Abatacept; D015703:Antigens, CD; D000943:Antigens, Differentiation; D000944:Antigens, Differentiation, B-Lymphocyte; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D051940:B7-2 Antigen; D015415:Biomarkers; D018845:CD11 Antigens; D018106:CD28 Antigens; D018959:CD57 Antigens; D060908:CTLA-4 Antigen; D015815:Cell Adhesion Molecules; D018819:Dipeptidyl Peptidase 4; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D018796:Immunoconjugates; D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D018950:Lipopolysaccharide Receptors; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D017452:Receptors, IgG; D011990:Receptors, Transferrin; D019014:fas Receptor; D000099192:CD69 Antigens; C068126:CD71 antigen; C497964:CD86 protein, human; C556706:CTLA4 protein, human; C505661:FASLG protein, human