title: [Changes in proportion and function of peripheral CD4(+)LAP(+) regulatory T cells in children with asthma].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the changes in the proportion and function of peripheral CD4(+)LAP(+)regulatory T cells (CD4(+)LAP(+)Treg cells) in children with asthma, as well as the role of CD4(+)LAP(+)Treg cells in the pathogenesis of asthma.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 75 children who were diagnosed with asthma from March 2014 to September 2015 were enrolled as study subjects, and according to their conditions, they were divided into acute-stage asthma group (40 children) and remission-stage asthma group (35 patients). Another 30 children who underwent physical examination were enrolled as the healthy control group. Flow cytometry was used to determine the percentage of peripheral CD4(+)LAP(+)Treg cells, and [(3)H]-thymidine incorporation assay was performed to analyze the immunosuppression of CD4(+)LAP(+)Treg cells in each group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The acute-stage asthma group showed significant reductions in the proportion of CD4(+)LAP(+)Treg cells compared with the remission-stage asthma group and the healthy control group (2.0%±1.0% vs 4.1%±2.4%/4.6%±3.0%; P<0.05). The acute-stage asthma group also showed a significant reduction in the immunosuppression rate of CD4(+)LAP(+)Treg cells compared with the remission-stage asthma group and the healthy control group (21%±4% vs 55%±9%/62%±11%; P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In children with asthma, the reduction in the number and inhibitory function of peripheral CD4(+)LAP(+)Treg cells may be involved in the pathogenesis of asthma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Second Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, China. 462916869@qq.com.
authors.forename: Jing-Hua
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Liang-An
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Guo-Lin
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D001249:Asthma / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology*