title: [Regulatory T cells in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].
abstract: Exposition to tobacco smoke has been established as the main risk factor to develop chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), by inducing inflammation of the airways. Several cell populations participate in this inflammatory process. It has been accepted that a maladaptive modulation of inflammatory responses plays a critical role in the development of the disease. Regulatory T cells (Treg) are a subset of T CD4(+) lymphocytes that modulate the immune response through secretion of cytokines. The role of the Treg cells in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is not clearly known, that is why it is important to focus in understanding their participation in the pathogenesis of the disease. To elaborate a systematic review of original articles in which we could describe Treg cells (their ontogeny, mechanisms of action) and their role in COPD, we made a systematic literature search in some data bases (MEDLINE, AMED, PubMed and Scielo) looking through the next keywords: "COPD and Regulatory T cells/EPOC y células T reguladoras", «Inflammation and COPD/Inflamación y EPOC», «Regulatory T cells/Células T reguladoras». We included basic science articles, controlled and non-controlled clinical trials, meta-analysis and guides. From this search we conclude that Treg cells are a subpopulation of T CD4(+) lymphocytes and their major functions are the suppression of immune responses and the maintenance of tolerance to self-antigens. A disruption in the regulatory mechanisms of the Treg cells leads to the development and perpetuation of inflammation in COPD.
authors.affiliation: Unidad de Posgrado, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), México, D.F., México.
authors.forename: Leonardo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Limón-Camacho
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Solleiro-Villavicencio
authors.forename: Ilana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Pupko-Sissa
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lascurain
authors.forename: María Inés
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Vargas-Rojas
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000276:immunology*; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000502:physiology*