CD4(+)CD25(-)Foxp3(+) T cells play a role in tuberculous hydrothorax rather than malignant hydrothorax.
BACKGROUND
Foxp3(+) T cells regulate inflammation and tumorigenesis. However, little is known about the role of different subsets of Foxp3(+) T cells in malignant or tuberculous hydrothorax.


METHODS
The numbers of CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+), CD4(+)CD25(-)Foxp3(+) T cells and the levels of some inflammatory cytokines in patients with tuberculous hydrothorax, malignant hydrothorax, and healthy controls (HCs) were examined by flow cytometry and ELISA. The potential association between the numbers of different subsets of Foxp3 + T cells and the values of clinical measures were analyzed.


RESULTS
The numbers of peripheral blood CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+) T cells were greater in malignant hydrothorax patients than in HCs, but fewer than those of hydrothorax in patients. The percentages of circulating IL-10(+) or LAP(+) CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+) T cells were higher than in the hydrothorax in patients with malignant hydrothorax. The numbers of circulating CD4(+)CD25(-)Foxp3(+) T cells were significantly fewer in patients with tuberculous hydrothorax than in HCs, and both the numbers of circulating CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+) and CD4(+)CD25(-)Foxp3(+) T cells were significantly fewer than in the hydrothorax in patients. Significantly higher percentages of circulating IL-10(+) or LAP(+) CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+) and CD4(+)CD25(-)Foxp3(+) T cells were detected in tuberculous hydrothorax patients. The numbers of CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+) and CD4(+)CD25(-)Foxp3(+) T cells were associated with hydrothorax adenosine deaminase (ADA) levels in tuberculous hydrothorax patients, while CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+) T cells were associated with carcino-embryonic antigen (CEA) in malignant hydrothorax patients. The concentrations of serum IL-6 and TGF-β in the patients were significantly higher than that in the HCs, but lower than that in the corresponding hydrothorax. A similar pattern of IL-10 was observed in different groups, except that there was no significant difference in the levels of serum IL-10 between the tuberculous hydrothorax patients and HCs.


CONCLUSIONS
CD4(+)CD25(-)Foxp3(+) T cells, which have lower inhibitory function than CD4(+)CD25(+)Foxp3(+) T cells, may play a role in tuberculous hydrothorax.
Department of Respiratory Medicine, The First Hospital, Jilin University, No. 71 Xinmin Street, Changchun, 130021, China. 87212020@qq.com.
Ying
Y
Tang
Department of Respiratory Medicine, The First Hospital, Jilin University, No. 71 Xinmin Street, Changchun, 130021, China. 273576356@qq.com.
Li-Ping
LP
Peng
The Center of Tuberculous Meningitis Diagnosis and Treatment, The Infectious Disease Hospital of Changchun, No. 2699 the south line of Changchun to Jilin, Changchun, 130123, China. 10464446@qq.com.
Gui-Xiang
GX
Qin
Department of Respiratory Medicine, The First Hospital, Jilin University, No. 71 Xinmin Street, Changchun, 130021, China. 114192508@qq.com.
Jing-Ting
JT
Sun
Department of Respiratory Medicine, The First Hospital, Jilin University, No. 71 Xinmin Street, Changchun, 130021, China. lijunxu001@sina.com.
Li-Jun
LJ
Xu
Key Laboratory for Zoonosis Research, Ministry of Education, The First Hospital, Jilin University, No. 3302 Jilin Road, Changchun, 130032, China. yanfangjiang@hotmail.com.
Yan-Fang
YF
Jiang
D000243:Adenosine Deaminase / Q000378:metabolism; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D006876:Hydrothorax / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D007249:Inflammation / Q000378:metabolism; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000378:metabolism; D053645:Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit / Q000378:metabolism*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000378:metabolism; D055815:Young Adult
C418974:FOXP3 protein, human; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors; C508609:IL10 protein, human; C508017:IL2RA protein, human; C508600:IL6 protein, human; D053645:Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit; D015850:Interleukin-6; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D016753:Interleukin-10; D000243:Adenosine Deaminase