Activated blood T cells in patients with bronchial asthma. Relationship to asthmatic cycle.

The number of CD4(+) T-Iymphocytes, CD4/CD8 ratio, and the number of IL2R(+) T-Iymphocytes (CD25) were examined in 14 patients with bronchial asthma, and the results were compared in three different asthma stages : symptom-free stage, wheeze stage, and attack stage. 1. The proportion of blood CD4(+) T-lymphocytes was more decreased in patients with asthma attacks than in those without symptoms. The CD4/CD8 ratio was also more　decreased in patients with attacks than in those without symptoms. However, these differences were not significant. 2. The proportion of blood activated T cells (IL2R(+) cells, CD25) was significantly increased in patients with attacks than in those without symptoms. The proportion of activated T cells in 5 asthma patients was 2.9±0.8% in　symptom-free stage and 6.6±1.1% in attack stage(p<0.001). These findings show that numbers of activated T-lymphocytes in peripheral blood were increased during asthma attacks, and this increase suggests the participation of　activated T cells in the pathogenesis of asthma.

気管支喘息14例を対象に,末梢血CD4(+)リンパ球の頻度,CD4／CD8比およびIL2R(+)Tリンパ球の頻度について,喘息発作との関連のもとに検討を加えた｡1.CD4(+)リンパ球の頻度は,非発作時の症例で最も高く,喘鳴のみの症例,発作の見られる症例へと順次低くなる傾向が見られたが,推計学的には有意の差は見られなかった｡CD4/CD8比も同様に,非発作時に最も高く,発作を有する症例では非発作時に比べ低い値を示したが,推計学的には有意の差は見られなかった｡2.IL2R(+)Tリンパ球(activated Tリンパ球)の頻度は,非発作時の症例で最も低く(3.5±1.1%),喘鳴のみをともなう症例(3.8±1.1%),発作の見られる症例(5.8±1.9%)へと順次高くなる傾向を示し,発作のある症例では,非発作および喘鳴のみの症例に比べ有意に高い値 を示した｡また,非発作時と発作のある時期にIL2R(+)Tリンパ球を観察し得た5症例では,非発作時2.9±0.8%,発作のある時期6.6±1.1%であり,発作のある時期に有意の高値を示した(p<0.001)。これらの結果は,発作のある時期にはactivated Tリンパ球の頻度が増加すること,そして,この増加はactivated Tリンパ球が喘息発作の病態と密接な関連を有していることを示唆するものと考えられた｡