Peripheral killer cells do not differentiate between asthma patients with or without fixed airway obstruction

Tubby, Carolyn; Negm, Ola H.; Harrison, Timothy W.; Tighe, Patrick J.; Todd, Ian; Fairclough, Lucy C.

Abstract

Objective: The three main types of killer cells – CD8+ T cells, NK cells and NKT cells – have been linked to asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, their role in a small subset of asthma patients displaying fixed airway obstruction (FAO), similar to that seen in COPD, has not been explored. The objective of the present study was to investigate killer cell numbers, phenotype and function in peripheral blood from asthma patients with FAO, asthma patients without FAO, and healthy individuals.
Methods: Peripheral CD8+ T cells (CD8+CD3+CD56−), NK cells (CD56+CD3−) and NKT-like cells (CD56+CD3+) of 14 asthma patients with FAO (post-bronchodilator FEV/FVC <0.7, despite clinician-optimised treatment), 7 asthma patients without FAO (post-bronchodilator FEV/FVC ≥0.7), and 9 healthy individuals were studied.
Results: No significant differences were seen between the number, receptor expression, MAPK signalling molecule expression, cytotoxic mediator expression, and functional cytotoxicity of peripheral killer cells from asthma patients with FAO, asthma patients without FAO and healthy individuals.
Conclusions: Peripheral killer cell numbers or functions do not differentiate between asthma patients with or without fixed airway obstruction.

Citation

Tubby, C., Negm, O. H., Harrison, T. W., Tighe, P. J., Todd, I., & Fairclough, L. C. (2017). Peripheral killer cells do not differentiate between asthma patients with or without fixed airway obstruction. Journal of Asthma, 54(5), 456-466. https://doi.org/10.1080/02770903.2016.1236941

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 10, 2016
• Online Publication Date: Dec 21, 2016
• Publication Date: May 28, 2017
• Deposit Date: Nov 29, 2016
• Publicly Available Date: Dec 21, 2016
• Journal: Journal of Asthma
• Print ISSN: 0277-0903
• Electronic ISSN: 1532-4303
• Publisher: Taylor and Francis
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 54
• Issue: 5
• Pages: 456-466
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/02770903.2016.1236941
• Keywords: CD8+ T cells; fixed airflow obstruction; natural killer cells; natural killer T cells; protein lysate microarray; asthma
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/823713
• Publisher URL: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02770903.2016.1236941
• Additional Information: This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Journal of Asthma on 13/10/2016, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/10.1080/02770903.2016.1236941
• Contract Date: Nov 29, 2016