title: Kinetics of regulatory T cells in the ovalbumin asthma model in the rat.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The kinetics of regulatory T cells (T(Reg)) in allergic diseases such as asthma are only partly known.
  
  
  METHODS
  The asthma model in the Fischer rat with ovalbumin (OVA) sensitization and aerosol challenge was used. The relative and absolute numbers of leukocytes, lymphocytes and T(Reg) subsets were determined by flow cytometry in the lung interstitium and draining bronchial lymph nodes at different time points after two challenges, and lung function was tested in parallel.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The progressive number of challenges resulted in increased relative and absolute numbers of lymphocytes and in particular of T(Reg). The T(Reg) number was augmented with each aerosol challenge and was already significantly increased 6 h after the second challenge. The relative (%) and absolute numbers of CD4+ and CD8+ T(Reg) and dendritic cells showed different kinetics after two challenges. The leukocyte numbers in the lung did not correlate with lung function.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  T(Reg) increased surprisingly early after challenge in the lung tissue. Relative and absolute numbers of leukocyte subsets should always be calculated. The kinetics of different leukocyte subsets can only be determined when several time points are studied.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Functional and Applied Anatomy, Medical School Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Marie-Charlot
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Jurawitz
authors.forename: Anke
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Luhrmann
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tschernig
authors.forename: Reinhard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pabst
mesh_terms: D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology; D000818:Animals; D001249:Asthma / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D008168:Lung / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D010047:Ovalbumin / Q000276:immunology; D051381:Rats; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D010047:Ovalbumin