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- Title
Distinctive Regulatory T Cells and Altered Cytokine Profile Locally in the Airways of Young Smokers with Normal Lung Function.
- Authors
Ostadkarampour, Mahyar; Müller, Malin; Öckinger, Johan; Kullberg, Susanna; Lindén, Anders; Eklund, Anders; Grunewald, Johan; Wahlström, Jan
- Abstract
Smoking influences the immune system in different ways and, hypothetically, effects on pulmonary effector and regulatory T cells emerge as potentially detrimental. Therefore, we characterized the frequencies and characteristics of CD4+ and CD8+ T cell subsets in the blood and lungs of young tobacco smokers. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and peripheral blood were obtained from healthy moderate smokers (n = 18; 2±24 pack-years) and neversmokers (n = 15), all with normal lung function. Cells were stimulated ex vivo and key intracellular cytokines (IFNλ, IL-17, IL-10 and TNFα) and transcription factors (Foxp3, T-bet and Helios) were analyzed using flow cytometry. Our results indicate that smoking is associated with a decline in lung IL-17+ CD4+ T cells, increased IFNλ+ CD8+ T cells and these alterations relate to the history of daily cigarette consumption. There is an increased fraction of Foxp3+ regulatory T cells being Helios- in the lungs of smokers. Cytokine production is mainly confined to the Helios-T cells, both in regulatory and effector subsets. Moreover, we detected a decline of Helios+Foxp3- postulated regulatory CD8+ T cells in smokers. These alterations in the immune system are likely to increase risk for infection and may have implications for autoimmune processes initiated in the lungs among tobacco smokers.
- Subjects
HEALTH; SMOKING; T cells; IMMUNE system; CD4 antigen; BRONCHOALVEOLAR lavage; LUNG physiology
- Publication
PLoS ONE, 2016, Vol 11, Issue 10, p1
- ISSN
1932-6203
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1371/journal.pone.0164751