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Cytotoxic lymphocytes in COPD airways : Increased NK cells associated with disease, iNKT and NKT-like cells with current smoking

Eriksson Ström, Jonas ; Pourazar, Jamshid ; Linder, Robert LU orcid ; Blomberg, Anders ; Lindberg, Anne ; Bucht, Anders and Behndig, Annelie F. (2018) In Respiratory Research 19. p.1-10
Abstract

Background: Cytotoxic lymphocytes are increased in the airways of COPD patients. Whether this increase is driven primarily by the disease or by smoking is not clear, nor whether it correlates with the rate of decline in lung function. Methods: Bronchoscopy with BAL was performed in 52 subjects recruited from the longitudinal OLIN COPD study according to pre-determined criteria; 12 with COPD and a rapid decline in lung function (loss of FEV1 ≥ 60 ml/year), 10 with COPD and a non-rapid decline in lung function (loss of FEV1 ≤ 30 ml/year), 15 current and ex-smokers and 15 non-smokers with normal lung function. BAL lymphocyte subsets were determined using flow cytometry. Results: In BAL fluid, the proportions of NK,... (More)

Background: Cytotoxic lymphocytes are increased in the airways of COPD patients. Whether this increase is driven primarily by the disease or by smoking is not clear, nor whether it correlates with the rate of decline in lung function. Methods: Bronchoscopy with BAL was performed in 52 subjects recruited from the longitudinal OLIN COPD study according to pre-determined criteria; 12 with COPD and a rapid decline in lung function (loss of FEV1 ≥ 60 ml/year), 10 with COPD and a non-rapid decline in lung function (loss of FEV1 ≤ 30 ml/year), 15 current and ex-smokers and 15 non-smokers with normal lung function. BAL lymphocyte subsets were determined using flow cytometry. Results: In BAL fluid, the proportions of NK, iNKT and NKT-like cells all increased with pack-years. Within the COPD group, NK cells - but not iNKT or NKT-like cells - were significantly elevated also in subjects that had quit smoking. In contrast, current smoking was associated with a marked increase in iNKT and NKT-like cells but not in NK cells. Rate of lung function decline did not significantly affect any of the results. Conclusions: In summary, increased proportions of NK cells in BAL fluid were associated with COPD; iNKT and NKT-like cells with current smoking but not with COPD. Interestingly, NK cell percentages did not normalize in COPD subjects that had quit smoking, indicating that these cells might play a role in the continued disease progression seen in COPD even after smoking cessation. Trial registration: Clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT02729220.

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author
; ; ; ; ; and
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Bronchoalveolar lavage, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Disease mechanisms, Lung function decline, Smoking habits, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), KOL, disease mechanisms, sjukdomsmekanismer, Lung function decline, lungfunktionsförsämring, Smoking habits, rökvanor, Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), bronkoalveolärt lavage (BAL)
in
Respiratory Research
volume
19
article number
244
pages
1 - 10
publisher
BioMed Central (BMC)
external identifiers
  • pmid:30526599
  • scopus:85058092775
ISSN
1465-9921
DOI
10.1186/s12931-018-0940-7
language
English
LU publication?
no
additional info
Publisher Copyright: © 2018 The Author(s).
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a46130cf-6624-4eae-8977-a4a899716280
date added to LUP
2025-05-16 10:13:13
date last changed
2025-05-17 03:24:43
@article{a46130cf-6624-4eae-8977-a4a899716280,
  abstract     = {{<p>Background: Cytotoxic lymphocytes are increased in the airways of COPD patients. Whether this increase is driven primarily by the disease or by smoking is not clear, nor whether it correlates with the rate of decline in lung function. Methods: Bronchoscopy with BAL was performed in 52 subjects recruited from the longitudinal OLIN COPD study according to pre-determined criteria; 12 with COPD and a rapid decline in lung function (loss of FEV<sub>1</sub> ≥ 60 ml/year), 10 with COPD and a non-rapid decline in lung function (loss of FEV<sub>1</sub> ≤ 30 ml/year), 15 current and ex-smokers and 15 non-smokers with normal lung function. BAL lymphocyte subsets were determined using flow cytometry. Results: In BAL fluid, the proportions of NK, iNKT and NKT-like cells all increased with pack-years. Within the COPD group, NK cells - but not iNKT or NKT-like cells - were significantly elevated also in subjects that had quit smoking. In contrast, current smoking was associated with a marked increase in iNKT and NKT-like cells but not in NK cells. Rate of lung function decline did not significantly affect any of the results. Conclusions: In summary, increased proportions of NK cells in BAL fluid were associated with COPD; iNKT and NKT-like cells with current smoking but not with COPD. Interestingly, NK cell percentages did not normalize in COPD subjects that had quit smoking, indicating that these cells might play a role in the continued disease progression seen in COPD even after smoking cessation. Trial registration: Clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT02729220.</p>}},
  author       = {{Eriksson Ström, Jonas and Pourazar, Jamshid and Linder, Robert and Blomberg, Anders and Lindberg, Anne and Bucht, Anders and Behndig, Annelie F.}},
  issn         = {{1465-9921}},
  keywords     = {{Bronchoalveolar lavage; Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease; Disease mechanisms; Lung function decline; Smoking habits; Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); KOL; disease mechanisms; sjukdomsmekanismer; Lung function decline; lungfunktionsförsämring; Smoking habits; rökvanor; Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL); bronkoalveolärt lavage (BAL)}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{12}},
  pages        = {{1--10}},
  publisher    = {{BioMed Central (BMC)}},
  series       = {{Respiratory Research}},
  title        = {{Cytotoxic lymphocytes in COPD airways : Increased NK cells associated with disease, iNKT and NKT-like cells with current smoking}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12931-018-0940-7}},
  doi          = {{10.1186/s12931-018-0940-7}},
  volume       = {{19}},
  year         = {{2018}},
}