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Integrin α E β 7 (CD103) expression in bronchoalveolar lymphocytes of patients with hypersensitivity pneumonitis

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Abstract

Purpose

CD4+/CD8+ ratio in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) often retrieves contradictory findings when used for diagnosis of sarcoidosis and hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP), so CD103+ has been investigated as a possible differential marker. We aimed to compare CD103+ expression in BALF T-lymphocytes between patients with HP, sarcoidosis and other interstitial lung diseases (ILD).

Methods

An observational study carried out over a 2-year period included consecutive patients with suspected ILD who underwent BALF as part of their initial diagnostic work-up; CD103+ expression on BALF T-lymphocytes was evaluated. After a final diagnosis established according to international criteria, three patient subgroups—HP, ILD (which included idiopathic interstitial pneumonia and connective tissue disease-associated lung disorders) and sarcoidosis—were considered for further analysis.

Results

A total of 77 subjects were enrolled, 20 with HP, 16 with other ILD and 41 with sarcoidosis. A significantly higher number of CD4+ CD103+ and CD8+ CD103+ lymphocytes were found in HP patients. Among patients with sarcoidosis, 12 (29.3 %) presented a BALF CD4+/CD8+ <3.5, all of them with histological confirmation. Compared to these patients, also statistically significant higher CD4+ CD103+ counts in HP patients were observed (p = 0.007). Among HP patients, although bird fanciers (n = 14) presented higher percentages of both CD4+ CD103+ and CD8+ CD103+ T-lymphocytes than those with work-related HP (n = 5), the differences did not reach statistical significance.

Conclusions

Patients with HP present significantly higher counts of CD103+ T-lymphocytes in BALF, both in the CD4+ and CD8+ subsets, when compared to sarcoidosis, even with sarcoidosis subgroup presenting a BALF CD4+/CD8+ <3.5. The expression of CD103 may help in the interpretation of BALF data in these diffuse granulomatous lung disorders.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Serviço e Laboratório de Imunologia, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade do Porto, Alameda Prof Hernâni Monteiro, 4200-319, Porto, Portugal

    Mariana Couto, Carmo Palmares, Marília Beltrão, António Morais & Luís Delgado

  2. Serviço de Imunoalergologia, Centro Hospitalar São João, E.P.E., Porto, Portugal

    Mariana Couto & Luís Delgado

  3. Serviço de Pneumologia, Centro Hospitalar Vila Nova de Gaia e Espinho, E.P.E., Porto, Portugal

    Sofia Neves

  4. Serviço de Pneumologia, Centro Hospitalar São João, E.P.E., Porto, Portugal

    Patrícia Mota & António Morais

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  1. Mariana Couto
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  2. Carmo Palmares
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  3. Marília Beltrão
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  4. Sofia Neves
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  5. Patrícia Mota
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  7. Luís Delgado
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Correspondence to Mariana Couto.

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Couto, M., Palmares, C., Beltrão, M. et al. Integrin α E β 7 (CD103) expression in bronchoalveolar lymphocytes of patients with hypersensitivity pneumonitis. Int Arch Occup Environ Health 88, 167–173 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-014-0947-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00420-014-0947-4

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