Intracellular cytokine repertoire in different T cell subsetsfrom patients with sarcoidosis

摘要

BACKGROUND—Pulmonary sarcoidosis is characterised by a mononuclear alveolitis with a predominance of CD4+ T cells and macrophages. We determined the intracellular expression of interferon (IFN)γ, interleukin (IL)-2, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)α, IL-4, IL-5 and IL-10 in CD4+ and CD8+, naive and memory lymphocytes from blood and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid using three colour flow cytometry.
METHODS—Eighteen untreated patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis were evaluated and stratified according to whether they had acute or chronic disease.
RESULTS—Significantly more T cells expressed Th1 than Th2 type cytokines in both BAL fluid and peripheral blood samples, regardless of clinical presentation. Significantly greater proportions of T cells secreted Th1 type cytokines in BAL fluid than in peripheral blood. Th1 type cytokines were more frequently expressed by peripheral and alveolar T cells in acute disease than in chronic disease. There were no significant differences between CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. Concerning naive and memory lymphocytes, significantly higher CD45RO:CD45RA ratios were found inBAL fluid than in blood, and increased expression of Th2 typecytokines was found in peripheral compared with alveolar memory T cells.
CONCLUSIONS—Our datasupport the immunopathogenetic concept of Th1/Th2 imbalance andcompartmentalisation in pulmonary sarcoidosis and suggest that thecytokine patterns change during the course of disease. Expression ofTh2 type cytokines in memory lymphocytes is decreased in the alveolarcompartment compared with peripheral blood.