Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 2002, 196 (4)

Correlation between the Numbers of gd T Cells and CD4+HLA-DR+ T Cells
in Broncho-Alveolar Lavage Fluid from Patients
with Diffuse Lung Disease

EIICHI SUZUKI, HIROKI TSUKADA, TAKASHI ISHIDA, OSAMU ISHIZUKA,
TAKASHI HASEGAWA and FUMITAKE GEJYO

Division of Respiratory Medicine, Niigata University Graduate School of
Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata 951-8510

CD4+HLA-DR+ T cells are known to be increasing in broncho-alveolar lavage fluid (BALF) from patients with sarcoidosis, and related to disease activity. Although there are several reports that the number of gd T cells in peripheral blood from patients with sarcoidosis are increasing, contradictory assertions can be seen about the number of gd T cells in BALF, and the clinical significance on the presence of gd T cells in disease site of patients with diffuse lung disease including sarcoidosis. The absolute number of gd T cells and CD4+HLA-DR+ T cells in BALF were determined by flow cytometry in 107 patients with diffuse lung diseases; 56 with sarcoidosis, 36 with collagen vascular diseases with lung involvement and 15 with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. We also measured the number of the transferrin receptor-positive macrophages in BALF. The correlation between gd T cells and activated (maybe antigen-specific) T cells and macrophages were evaluated. Sarcoidosis patients were also evaluated from the data of the number of gd T cells in peripheral blood by flow cytometry and clinical backgrounds. A significant correlation between the numbers of these two cell types was detected in each of the three patient groups. The percentage of peripheral gd T cells was markedly increased in 7 sarcoidosis patients, each of whom also showed affected organs other than lung, however, 5 individuals did not show an increased number of gd T cells in BALF. The number of gd T cells in BALF did not correlate with the number of transferrin receptor-positive macrophages in all three patient groups. These results suggest that the increased number of gd T cells in diffuse lung diseases likely plays a role in immunosurveillance and contributes to the activation of antigen-specific ab T cell.

Keywords —— gd T cell; CD4+HLA-DR+ T cell; diffuse lung disease; broncho-alveolar lavage; transferrin receptor

© 2002 Tohoku University Medical Press

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Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 2002, 196, 231-240

Address for reprints: Eiichi Suzuki, Division of Respiratory Medicine, Niigata University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, 1-757 Asahimachi-dori, Niigata 951-8510, Japan.

e-mail: eiichi@med.niigata-u.ac.jp