ackground: Allergic inflammation may be the basis of bronchial hyperresponsiveness that
is a characteristic of bronchial asthma. Lymphocytes are prominent among the inflammatory
cells infiltrating asthmatic airways and express low affinity IgE receptor. We performed this
study to evaluate the role of Tlymphocyte in the development of bronchial asthma.
Methods: We measured delayed skin responsiveness to multiple recall antigens, lymphocyte
blastogenesis to mitogens and allergen and surface markers of Tlymphocyte such as CD3,
CD4, CD8, IL-2R, HLA-DR, VLH-1, by flowcytometric technique in 30 allergic asthmatics, 12
patients who sho ed improvement with immunotherapy and 11 healthy subjects.
Results:
1) IL-2R(+) cells and HLA-DR(+) cells were increased significantly compared to those of
controls (IL-2R(+) cells were 9.9±4.9%, 3.7±1.8%, HLA-DR(+) cells were 9.9±5.2%, 3.7±3%
respectively). And IL-2R(+) cells showed inverse relationship with bronchial
hyperresponsiveness. CD8(+) cells were increased in asthmatics, but CD3(+) cells and CD4(+)
cells were not different from those of controls Cell surface markers were not changed with
immunotherapy.
2) Lymphoproliferative responses to PHA(10∼100ug/ml), Con A (1∼10ug/ml) and
D.farinae(10E-6∼10E-2w/v%) showed no siginificant differences among D. farinae sensitive
asthmatics, immunotherapy patients and healthy controls.
3) Delayed skin responses to multiple recall antigens were similar among groups.
4) None of lymphoproliferative responses, cell surface markers and delayed skin responses
of allergic asthmatics showed significant correlation with parameters of type 1 hypersensitivity
reaction.
Conclusion : CD8(+) cells are increased in allergic asthmatics, and the lymphoproliferative
responses to allergens and mitogens are not changed compared to healthy controls. And
activated Tlymphocytes play an important role in the development of allergic asthma.
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