Gender differences in the T-cell profiles of the airways in COPD patients associated with clinical phenotypes

Abstract T lymphocytes are believed to play an important role in the pathogenesis of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). How T cells are recruited to the lungs and contribute to the inflammatory process is largely unknown. COPD is a heterogeneous disease, and discriminating disease phenotypes based on distinct molecular and cellular pathways may provide new approaches for individualized diagnosis and therapies. Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and blood samples were obtained from 40 never-smokers, 40 smokers with normal lung function, and 38 COPD patients. T-cell chemokine receptor expression was analyzed with flow cytometry, and soluble BAL cytokines and chemokines were measured using a cytokine multiplex assay. Correlations with gender and clinical characteristics including lung imaging were investigated using multivariate modeling. Th1/Tc1- and Th2/Tc2-associated soluble analytes and T-cell chemokine receptors were analyzed as cumulative Th1/Tc1 and Th2/Tc2 immune responses. A higher expression of chemokine receptor CCR5 on CD8⁺ T cells in BAL and higher percentage of CXCR3⁺CD8⁺ T cells in blood was found in female smokers with COPD compared to those without COPD. CCR5 expression on CD4⁺ and CD8⁺ T cells was lower in BAL from male smokers with COPD compared to those without COPD. Among female smokers with COPD, Th1/Tc1 immune response was linked to BAL macrophage numbers and goblet cell density, and Th2/Tc2 response was associated with the measures of emphysema on high-resolution computed tomography. The highly gender-dependent T-cell profile in COPD indicates different links between cellular events and clinical manifestations in females compared to males. Our findings may reveal mechanisms of importance for the difference in clinical course in female COPD patients compared to males

Mucins 3A and 3B are expressed in the epithelium of human large airway

Abstract Aberrant mucus secretion is a hallmark of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Expression of the membrane-tethered mucins 3A and 3B (MUC3A, MUC3B) in human lung is largely unknown. In this observational cross-sectional study, we recruited subjects 45–65 years old from the general population of Stockholm, Sweden, during the years 2007–2011. Bronchial mucosal biopsies, bronchial brushings, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) were retrieved from COPD patients (n = 38), healthy never-smokers (n = 40), and smokers with normal lung function (n = 40). Protein expression of MUC3A and MUC3B in bronchial mucosal biopsies was assessed by immunohistochemical staining. In a subgroup of subjects (n = 28), MUC3A and MUC3B mRNAs were quantified in bronchial brushings using microarray. Non-parametric tests were used to perform correlation and group comparison analyses. A value of p %lt; 0.05 was considered statistically significant. MUC3A and MUC3B immunohistochemical expression was localized to ciliated cells. MUC3B was also expressed in basal cells. MUC3A and MUC3B immunohistochemical expression was equal in all study groups but subjects with emphysema had higher MUC3A expression, compared to those without emphysema. Smokers had higher mRNA levels of MUC3A and MUC3B than non-smokers. MUC3A and MUC3B mRNA were higher in male subjects and correlated negatively with expiratory air flows. MUC3B mRNA correlated positively with total cell concentration and macrophage percentage, and negatively with CD4/CD8 T cell ratio in BALF. We concluded that MUC3A and MUC3B in large airways may be a marker of disease or may play a role in the pathophysiology of airway obstruction