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Peripheral Blood CD161 + T Cells from Asthmatic Patients are Activated During Asthma Attack and Predominantly Produce IFN‐ γ
Author(s) -
GonzálezHernández Y.,
PedrazaSánchez S.,
BlandónVijil V.,
Del RíoNavarro B. E.,
Vaughan G.,
MorenoLafont M.,
EscobarGutiérrez A.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
scandinavian journal of immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.934
H-Index - 88
eISSN - 1365-3083
pISSN - 0300-9475
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-3083.2006.01885.x
Subject(s) - asthma , immunology , ionomycin , cd69 , cytokine , medicine , cd3 , immune system , stimulation , t cell , cd8 , il 2 receptor
In humans, T cells expressing the CD161 molecule NKR‐P1A constitute around 20% of the circulating CD3 + cells and are potentially immunoregulatory in several diseases. Their role in asthma is not well known, but they could participate in asthma attacks. To determinate whether activation of CD161 + T cells and their cytokine production correlate with clinical status of asthma, we analysed blood samples from asthma attack patients (AAP) and stable asthma patients (SAP) in comparison with healthy non‐atopic controls (HC). There was a significant higher baseline expression of CD69 on T cells from AAP and the difference was more notorious on CD161 + T cells; upregulation of CD69 was observed on both CD161 − and CD161 + T cells driven by Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus crude extract, whereas polyclonal stimulation with phorbol 12‐myristate 13‐acetate plus ionomycin predominantly induced IFN‐ γ but no IL‐4, IL‐5 and IL‐13 by CD161 + T cells in all groups; upon polyclonal stimulation, there were more CD161 + T cells producing IFN‐ γ and less CD161 − T cells producing this cytokine, contrasting with the opposite results observed in SAP and HC groups. Our results indicate that, during asthma attack, CD161 + T cells are activated and are able to produce predominantly IFN‐ γ but no Th2 cytokines. We hypothesize that during an asthma attack, IFN‐ γ produced by CD161 + T cells could help to reestablish the Th1/Th2 equilibrium. These observations may contribute to the understanding of the immune mechanisms involved in asthma attacks.