title: Apoptosis of T lymphocytes isolated from peripheral blood of patients with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is characterized by chronic inflammation of the airways and progressive destruction of lung parenchyma. Apoptosis is critical for the maintenance of normal tissue homeostasis and is in equilibrium with proliferation and differentiation. This study was undertaken to investigate relationship between apoptosis of peripheral blood lymphocytes during exacerbation of COPD and inflammatory response that characterizes this condition.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventeen patients with COPD exacerbation, 21 stable COPD, and 12 control subjects were included. T lymphocytes were isolated from peripheral blood using MACS. Apoptosis of T lymphocytes was assessed with FACS using annexin V and 7-aminoactinomycin. Serum levels of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α were determined by an immunoassay technique.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was significantly increased percentage of apoptotic lymphocytes, CD 4+, and CD 8+ T cells in the peripheral blood of patients with exacerbation of COPD compared with stable COPD. Serum levels of IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α were significantly increased in patients with exacerbation of COPD compared with stable COPD. Only TNF-α presented a positive correlation with apoptotic lymphocytes in patients with exacerbation of COPD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Increased apoptotic lymphocytes may be associated with upregulation of TNF-α in the peripheral blood of patients with acute exacerbation of COPD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Chonnam National University Hospital, 671 Jaebong-ro, Dong-gu, Gwangju 501-757, Korea. lscmd@jnu.ac.kr
authors.forename: Sung Chul
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Jin Yung
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Ju
authors.forename: Su Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Chi
authors.forename: Hee Jung
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Ban
authors.forename: Yong Soo
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.forename: In Jae
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Oh
authors.forename: Kyu Sik
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Yu Il
authors.initials: YI
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Young Chul
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000097:blood; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D015850:Interleukin-6; D016209:Interleukin-8; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha