Peripheral blood lymphocyte muscarinic cholinergic receptors in airway hyperresponsiveness: a marker of cholinergic dysfunction?

1. Muscarinic cholinergic receptors were assayed in human peripheral blood lymphocytes of healthy control and airway hyperresponsive subjects using a radioligand binding assay technique and the muscarinic cholinergic receptor antagonist [3H]-quinuclidinyl benzilate (QNB) as a radioligand. Subjects investigated were divided in four different groups based on threshold responses to methacholine inhaled as challenge test. 2. [3H]-QNB was bound to human peripheral blood lymphocytes in a manner consistent with the labelling of muscarinic cholinergic receptors. Dissociation constant (Kd) values of [3H]-QNB binding were similar in the different groups examined, whereas maximum density of binding sites (Bmax) was increased in airway hyperresponsive subjects in comparison with healthy controls. 3. The above findings indicate that the density of muscarinic cholinergic receptors is increased in peripheral blood lymphocytes of airway hyperresponsive subjects. 4. This suggests that airway hyperresponsiveness is associated with cholinergic hyperreactivity and is probably a systemic cholinergic dysfunction since it is accompanied by changes in the density of muscarinic cholinergic receptors expressed by peripheral blood lymphocytes.