Structural and functional characteristics of the T helpers 17 subpopulation in allergic diseases of the respiratory organs in children

Phenotypes of asthma and allergic rhinitis are classified depending on the prevailing direction of the immune response the T lymphocyte profile and spectrum of cytokines that regulate the subpopulations of T lymphocyte helper cells. Therefore, the studies on the pathogenesis in various phenotypes of allergic respiratory diseases, and assessment of structural and functional characteristics of Th17 lymphocytes and interleukin 17 are relevant. The purpose of the present study was to analyze the subpopulations of Th17 lymphocytes and IL-17A, IL-17F interleukins in children with atopic asthma and allergic rhinitis. Materials and methods: a comprehensive assessment of structural and functional characteristics of T helper cells was carried out in 60 children aged 3-11 years with a verified diagnosis of atopic asthma. In 44 children (73.33% of total) bronchial asthma was combined with allergic rhinitis, and 30 healthy peers formed the control group. The population and subpopulation composition of blood lymphocytes was assessed by flow cytofluorimetry using monoclonal antibodies to CD3, CD4, CD8, CD19, CD45RA, CD45RO and CD196. To determine the intracellular content of IL-17, monoclonal antibodies against IL-17A (clone REA1063) labeled with PE-Vio770, isotypic control of antibodies against REA (Miltenyi Biotec GmbH, Germany) were used. The contents of total, specific IgE and interleukins IL-17A and IL-17F were determined by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in the blood serum. Statistical processing of the results was performed using the “Statistica 10” applied software. When studying functional and quantitative characteristics of immunocompetent cells in children with atopic bronchial asthma and allergic rhinitis, a sufficient variability was revealed for relative and absolute numbers of CD3+CD4-CD8+, CD3+CD8+CD45RA+ and CD3+CD4+CD45RA+CD45RO"T lymphocyte subpopulations in peripheral blood, without significant differences with appropriate parameters in healthy controls (p < 0.001). A significant increase in the number of T lymphocytes was found in children with atopic bronchial asthma, with respect to CD3+CD8+CD45RA"CD45RO+ subpopulation (p < 0.001), the differentiated population of CD3CD4 positive T helpers (p < 0.05), and the Th effector subpopulations expressing both isoforms of CD45RA and CD45RO receptor (p < 0.01). The proportion of CD4CD45RO positive memory cells in children with atopic bronchial asthma and allergic rhinitis proved to be lower (p < 0.001), and the number of CD8+CD45RO+T lymphocytes, on the contrary, was higher (p < 0.025) than in the group of healthy controls. A diagnostically significant increase in the absolute and relative amounts of T helper 17 type with detectable changes in their functional characteristics, i.e., by the CCR6 chemokine receptor (CD196) expression levels, and presence of IL17A interleukin in children with atopic asthma and allergic rhinitis. The contents of this T helper 17 type subpopulation, and concentration of interleukins IL-17A, IL-17F in the blood serum of children with atopic asthma and allergic rhinitis showed the variability of functional and quantitative characteristics of cells that depended on the prevalence of allergic inflammation, evident imbalance in the interleukin 17 system, and the influence of Th17 lymphocytes on various aspects of inflammation and bronchial hyperreactivity associated with Th1 and Th2 response.

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