Perforin Expression and Cytotoxic Activity of Sputum CD8+ Lymphocytes in Patients With COPD

• Published in: Chest Vol. 125; no. 1; pp. 71 - 76
• Main Authors: Chrysofakis, George, Tzanakis, Nikolaos, Kyriakoy, Despina, Tsoumakidou, Maria, Tsiligianni, Ioanna, Klimathianaki, Maria, Siafakas, Nikolaos M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Northbrook, IL Elsevier Inc 01.01.2004; American College of Chest Physicians
• Subjects: Anesthesia. Intensive care medicine. Transfusions. Cell therapy and gene therapy; Biological and medical sciences; Cardiology. Vascular system; CD4-CD8 Ratio; CD8+ cells; Cell Count; COPD; cytotoxicity; Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; Flow Cytometry; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Membrane Glycoproteins - metabolism; Middle Aged; Perforin; Pneumology; Pore Forming Cytotoxic Proteins; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive - immunology; smoking; Smoking - adverse effects; Smoking - immunology; Sputum - cytology; T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic - immunology; T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic - metabolism; Tobacco, tobacco smoking; Toxicology; PBS; perforin; FITC; CD8+ cells; RFI; OD; smoking; FCS; PCy-5; PerCP; cytotoxicity; COPD; Human; Tobacco smoking; Activity; Cytotoxicity; Gene expression; Chronic; Sputum; Anesthesia; Circulatory system; Cardiology; Cell
• ISSN: 0012-3692; 1931-3543
• DOI: 10.1378/chest.125.1.71

Previous studies have shown that the inflammatory response to cigarette smoking differs between smokers who acquire COPD and those who do not, and the CD8+ T- lymphocytes have been identified as a key player in this response. To investigate the cytotoxic activity and perforin expression of CD8+ lymphocytes in the airway lumen of patients with COPD. Thirty-six male smokers with COPD, 25 male smokers without COPD, and 10 healthy nonsmokers participated in the study. T-lymphocytes of induced sputum samples were labeled with appropriate monoclonal antibodies and measured using flow cytometry. The cytotoxic activity of CD8+ cells was defined by incubating them with specific target cells (K562). The percentage and the total number of CD8+ lymphocytes were significantly higher in COPD smokers compared to non-COPD smokers (p = 0.01 and p = 0.005, respectively) or to healthy nonsmokers (p = 0.02 and p = 0.01, respectively). Perforin expression in CD8+ cells was significantly higher in smokers with COPD compared to the other two groups (p = 0.001). Increased cytotoxic activity of T cells was also observed in induced sputum of patients with COPD in comparison to the other two groups. CD8+ cells are not only increased in number in sputum samples of smokers with COPD but are highly activated, expressing high levels of perforin. These findings suggest that CD8+ T-lymphocytes play a significant role in the inflammatory process of COPD.