Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid IFN- γ + Th17 cells and regulatory T cells in pulmonary sarcoidosis
Journal article, Peer reviewed
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http://hdl.handle.net/11250/296315Utgivelsesdato
2014Metadata
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Sammendrag
In sarcoidosis, increased Th17 cell fractions have been reported in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, and elevated numbers of Th17
cells producing IFN-𝛾 have been observed in peripheral blood. The balance between Th1, Th17, and FoxP3+ CD4+ T cell subsets
in sarcoidosis remains unclear. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid cells, from 30 patients with sarcoidosis, 18 patients with other diffuse
parenchymal lung diseases, and 15 healthy controls, were investigated with flow cytometry for intracellular expression of FoxP3. In a
subset of the patients, expression of the cytokines IL17A and IFN-𝛾 was investigated.Thefractions of FoxP3+ CD4+ T cells andTh17
cells were both lower in sarcoidosis compared to controls (𝑃 = 0.017 and 𝑃 = 0.011, resp.).The proportion ofTh17 cells positive for
IFN-𝛾 was greater in sarcoidosis than controls (median 72.4% versus 31%, 𝑃 = 0.0005) and increased with radiologic stage (𝑁 = 23,
rho = 0.45, and 𝑃 = 0.03). IFN-𝛾
+ Th17 cells were highly correlated withTh1 cells (𝑁 = 23, rho = 0.64, and 𝑃 = 0.001), and the
ratio of IFN-𝛾
+ Th17/FoxP3+ CD4+ T cells was prominently increased in sarcoidosis. IFN-𝛾
+ Th17 cells may represent a pathogenic
subset of Th17 cells, yet their expression of IFN-𝛾 could be a consequence of aTh1-polarized cytokine milieu. Our results indicate
a possible immune cell imbalance in sarcoidosis.