Populational composition of CD4⁺5RA/ CD4⁺5RO positive t lymphocytes and cytokine profile in children with allergic respiratory diseases

The changing states of T cell populations responsible for the chronic course of allergic inflammation and diseases, including allergic bronchial asthma, are not yet sufficiently characterized. The aim of this study was to detect phenotypic changes in the CD45RA/CD45RO positive T lymphocytes and the level of regulatory cytokines (TNFα, IFNγ, IL-4, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, IL-13, IL-17А, IL-17F) in allergic respiratory diseases (ARD) in children. In blood of 90 children aged 3-11 (60 children with ARD and 30 healthy peers) were studied of the immune cellular populations and cytokine indices. The levels of IL-4, IL-8, IL-10, IL-13, IL-17A and IL-17F in blood serum of children with bronchial asthma and allergic rhinitis differed from appropriate indices in control group (p = 0.001). The quantity of CD3⁺CD8⁺CD45RACD45RO⁺ cells, T helpers (p < 0.05) and Th effectors simultaneously expressing both isoforms of the CD45RA⁺ and CD45RO receptor in peripheral blood of children with ARD significantly exceeded those in control group (p < 0.001). In healthy children, Th17 population (CD3⁺CD4⁺CD196 lymphocytes) comprised 9.49±1.6% of CD3⁺CD4⁺ of cells, the number of such lymphocytes was significantly increased to 14.5±0.77 in children with allergic diseases (p < 0.001). Absolute numbers of Th17+ cells were 93.0±9.30 and 127,0±72.0 cells/µl respectively (p = 0.002). Indicators of CD4CD45RO positive memory cells in children with ARD was determined as significantly lower (p < 0.001), whereas quantity of CD3⁺CD19⁺ proved to be higher (p < 0.05) than in healthy peers. Absolute counts of these cells did not differ between the groups. The number of CD8⁺CD45RO⁺T lymphocytes was significantly higher in children with allergic diseases (p < 0.025). This research shows that the quantitative ratio of CD3⁺CD8⁺CD45RA⁺ and CD3⁺CD8⁺CD45RO⁺ populations of T cells, and increased levels of cytokines, synthesizable via Th2 and Th17, in peripheral blood may be helpful for understanding genesis of allergic respiratory diseases, and extends our knowledge on immune mechanisms of allergic disorders for individualization of therapeutic programs.

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