Impact of smoking on dendritic cell phenotypes in the airway lumen of patients with COPD |
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Authors: | Paul Stoll Ann-Sophie Heinz Kai Bratke Andrea Bier Katharina Garbe Michael Kuepper J Christian Virchow Marek Lommatzsch |
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Institution: | 1.Department of Pneumology and Critical Care Medicine, University of Rostock, Ernst-Heydemann-Str. 6, 18057 Rostock, Germany |
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Abstract: | BackgroundMyeloid dendritic cells (DCs) are increased in the airway wall of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and postulated to play a crucial role in COPD. However, DC phenotypes in COPD are poorly understood.MethodsFunction-associated surface molecules on bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) DCs were analyzed using flow cytometry in current smokers with COPD, in former smokers with COPD and in never-smoking controls.ResultsMyeloid DCs of current smokers with COPD displayed a significantly increased expression of receptors for antigen recognition such as BDCA-1 or Langerin, as compared with never-smoking controls. In contrast, former smokers with COPD displayed a significantly decreased expression of these receptors, as compared with never-smoking controls. A significantly reduced expression of the maturation marker CD83 on myeloid DCs was found in current smokers with COPD, but not in former smokers with COPD. The chemokine receptor CCR5 on myeloid DCs, which is also important for the uptake and procession of microbial antigens, was strongly reduced in all patients with COPD, independently of the smoking status.ConclusionCOPD is characterized by a strongly reduced CCR5 expression on myeloid DCs in the airway lumen, which might hamper DC interactions with microbial antigens. Further studies are needed to better understand the role of CCR5 in the pathophysiology and microbiology of COPD. |
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Keywords: | Dendritic cells COPD Smoking Airway |
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