title: Peripheral killer cells do not differentiate between asthma patients with or without fixed airway obstruction.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The three main types of killer cells - CD8+T cells, NK cells and NKT cells - have been linked to asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, their role in a small subset of asthma patients displaying fixed airway obstruction (FAO), similar to that seen in COPD, has not been explored. The objective of the present study was to investigate killer cell numbers, phenotype and function in peripheral blood from asthma patients with FAO, asthma patients without FAO, and healthy individuals.
  
  
  METHODS
  Peripheral CD8+T cells (CD8+CD3+CD56-), NK cells (CD56+CD3-) and NKT-like cells (CD56+CD3+) of 14 asthma patients with FAO (post-bronchodilator FEV/FVC <0.7, despite clinician-optimised treatment), 7 asthma patients without FAO (post-bronchodilator FEV/FVC ≥ 0.7), and 9 healthy individuals were studied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No significant differences were seen between the number, receptor expression, MAPK signalling molecule expression, cytotoxic mediator expression, and functional cytotoxicity of peripheral killer cells from asthma patients with FAO, asthma patients without FAO and healthy individuals.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Peripheral killer cell numbers or functions do not differentiate between asthma patients with or without fixed airway obstruction.
authors.affiliation: a School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham , Nottingham , UK.
authors.forename: Carolyn
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tubby
authors.affiliation: a School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham , Nottingham , UK.|b Medical Microbiology and Immunology Department , Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University , Mansoura , Egypt.
authors.forename: Ola H
authors.initials: OH
authors.lastname: Negm
authors.affiliation: c Nottingham Respiratory Research Unit, Division of Respiratory Medicine , School of Medicine, University of Nottingham , Nottingham , UK.
authors.forename: Timothy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Harrison
authors.affiliation: a School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham , Nottingham , UK.
authors.forename: Patrick J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Tighe
authors.affiliation: a School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham , Nottingham , UK.
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Todd
authors.affiliation: a School of Life Sciences, University of Nottingham , Nottingham , UK.
authors.forename: Lucy C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Fairclough
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000402:Airway Obstruction / Q000276:immunology*; D001249:Asthma / Q000276:immunology*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000378:metabolism*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000378:metabolism; D020935:MAP Kinase Signaling System / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055655:NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily K / Q000096:biosynthesis; D055611:Natural Killer T-Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D040081:Protein Array Analysis; D029424:Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / Q000276:immunology; D054341:Receptors, KIR3DL1 / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D055655:NK Cell Lectin-Like Receptor Subfamily K; D054341:Receptors, KIR3DL1
keywords: CD8+ T cells; asthma; fixed airflow obstruction; natural killer T cells; natural killer cells; protein lysate microarray