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-γ, IL-2, IL-4 and IL-13 in plasma was detected by ELISA. The Naïve CD4 T cells were isolated from the peripheral blood mononuclear cells, which were stimulated by elastin and collagen before determining the level of IFN-γ 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-γ and IL-2 in AECOPD group was lower than that in remission (P < .05). The concentration of IFN-γ 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-γ 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.