Baraldo S, Turato G, Badin C, Bazzan E, Beghé B, Zuin R, Calabrese F, Casoni G, Maestrelli P, Papi A, Fabbri L M, Saetta M
Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Section of Respiratory Diseases, University of Padova, Italy.
Thorax. 2004 Apr;59(4):308-12. doi: 10.1136/thx.2003.012146.
COPD is an inflammatory disorder characterised by chronic airflow limitation, but the extent to which airway inflammation is related to functional abnormalities is still uncertain. The interaction between inflammatory cells and airway smooth muscle may have a crucial role.
To investigate the microlocalisation of inflammatory cells within the airway smooth muscle in COPD, surgical specimens obtained from 26 subjects undergoing thoracotomy (eight smokers with COPD, 10 smokers with normal lung function, and eight non-smoking controls) were examined. Immunohistochemical analysis was used to quantify the number of neutrophils, macrophages, mast cells, CD4+ and CD8+ cells localised within the smooth muscle of peripheral airways.
Smokers with COPD had an increased number of neutrophils and CD8+ cells in the airway smooth muscle compared with non-smokers. Smokers with normal lung function also had a neutrophilic infiltration in the airway smooth muscle, but to a lesser extent. When all the subjects were analysed as one group, neutrophilic infiltration was inversely related to forced expiratory volume in 1 second (% predicted).
Microlocalisation of neutrophils and CD8+ cells in the airway smooth muscle in smokers with COPD suggests a possible role for these cells in the pathogenesis of smoking induced airflow limitation.
慢性阻塞性肺疾病（COPD）是一种以慢性气流受限为特征的炎症性疾病，但气道炎症与功能异常的相关程度仍不明确。炎症细胞与气道平滑肌之间的相互作用可能起关键作用。
为研究COPD患者气道平滑肌内炎症细胞的微定位，对26例接受开胸手术的受试者（8例患有COPD的吸烟者、10例肺功能正常的吸烟者和8例非吸烟对照者）的手术标本进行检查。采用免疫组织化学分析对外周气道平滑肌内的中性粒细胞、巨噬细胞、肥大细胞、CD4⁺和CD8⁺细胞数量进行定量。
与非吸烟者相比，患有COPD的吸烟者气道平滑肌中的中性粒细胞和CD8⁺细胞数量增加。肺功能正常的吸烟者气道平滑肌也有嗜中性粒细胞浸润，但程度较轻。当将所有受试者作为一组进行分析时，嗜中性粒细胞浸润与1秒用力呼气量（%预计值）呈负相关。
COPD吸烟者气道平滑肌中中性粒细胞和CD8⁺细胞的微定位表明这些细胞在吸烟诱导的气流受限发病机制中可能起作用。
