The role of Th1/Th2 cytokines played in regulation of specific CD4 + Th1 cell conversion and activation during inflammatory reaction of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

CD4 (+) Th1-CXCR3 signalling pathway may play a key role in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The aim of this study was to explore Th1/Th2 cytokines ratio differences in patients in different stages of COPD and to confirm the hypothesis that elastin exposure might serve as an antigen to initiate the stimulation of CD4 (+) Th1-CXCR3 immune inflammation pathway. Patients of COPD in different stages and normal individuals were enrolled. Ten millilitres of peripheral blood was drawn from patients. The concentration of CXCR3, IFN-, IL-2, IL-4 and IL-13 in plasma was detected by ELISA. The Naive CD4(+)T cells were isolated from the peripheral blood mononuclear cells, which were stimulated by elastin and collagen before determining the level of IFN- secretion by ELISPOT. Compared with control group, the concentration of CXCR3 in the acute exacerbation COPD (AECOPD) group was higher (P<.05). The concentration of IFN- and IL-2 in AECOPD group was lower than that in remission (P<.05). The concentration of IFN- in the AECOPD and remission was higher than that in controls (P<.05), while IL-2 was opposite (P<.01). The concentration of IL-4 and IL-13 in AECOPD group was higher than that in the controls (P<.05). The CD4(+)Th1 cells stimulated by the elastin as antigen secreted more IFN- than that by collagen (P<.01). CXCR3 was highly expressed in patients with COPD. There were different Th1/Th2 cytokines in different stages of COPD. The CD4+Th1-specific conversion and activation may be an initiator of COPD immune inflammatory response.