Characterization of chemokine receptor expression and cytokine production in circulating CD4+ T cells from patients with atopic dermatitis: up-regulation of C-C chemokine receptor 4 in atopic dermatitis.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

Th2 and Th1 cells have been suggested to express CCR3/CCR4 and CCR5/CXCR3, respectively.

OBJECTIVE:

We examined CCR3, CCR4, CCR5 and CXCR3 expression and cytokine production in peripheral blood CD4+ T cells from patients with atopic dermatitis (AD), which has been postulated to be a Th2-type cell-mediated disease, and then analysed the possible correlation between these values and the levels of several clinical parameters.

METHODS:

Intracellular cytokine production and chemokine receptor expression in peripheral blood CD4+ T cells from 40 AD patients and 20 sex- and age-matched healthy control subjects were studied by flow cytometry.

RESULTS:

The frequencies of IL-4- and IL-13-producing CD4+ T cells from patients with AD were significantly higher than those from healthy control subjects (IL-4:3.9 +/- 2.1% vs. 1.6 +/- 0.7%, P = 0.0005, IL-13:4.0 +/- 2.1% vs. 1.8 +/- 0.8%, P = 0.0023), whereas the frequencies of IL-2- and IFN-gamma-producing CD4+ T cells were significantly decreased in AD patients (IL-2:38.1 +/- 10.3% vs. 51.3 +/- 6.3%, P = 0.0003, IFN-gamma: 9.9 +/- 3.5% vs. 26.4 +/- 4.6%, P < 0.0001). The percentage of CCR4+ cells in CD4+ CD45RO+ T cells in AD patients was significantly higher than that in healthy control subjects (24.4 +/- 8.0% vs. 10.9 +/- 2.3%, P < 0.0001) and was correlated positively with the total serum IgE, serum lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) level, eosinophil number, eruption score, and IL-4 and IL-13 secretion in CD4+ T cells, and inversely with IL-2 and IFN-gamma secretion in CD4+ T cells. In contrast, CCR3 was not detected on circulating CD4+ T cells even in AD patients. On the other hand, the percentage of CCR5+ or CXCR3+ cells in CD4+ CD45RO+ T cells in AD patients was significantly decreased (CCR5:23.2 +/- 7.0% vs. 28.4 +/- 5.4%, P = 0.023, CXCR3:29.9 +/- 11.4% vs. 38.5 +/- 6.7%, P = 0.028) and was positively correlated with eruption score (P < 0.05). Multiple regression analyses showed that the percentage of CCR4 expression highly correlated with serum IgE, LDH, eosinophil number and eruption in AD patients.

CONCLUSION:

CCR4+ cells might be involved in the aetiopathogenesis of AD.

• Authors: H Okazaki, M Kakurai, D Hirata, H Sato, T Kamimura, N Onai, K Matsushima, H Nakagawa, S Kano, S Minota
• Journal: Clinical and experimental allergy : journal of the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology (Clin Exp Allergy) Vol. 32 Issue 8 Pg. 1236-42 (Aug 2002) ISSN: 0954-7894 [Print] England
• PMID: 12190665 (Publication Type: Journal Article)

Chemical References

• CCR4 protein, human
• Cytokines
• Interleukin-13
• Interleukin-2
• Receptors, CCR4
• Receptors, Chemokine
• Interleukin-4
• Immunoglobulin E
• Interferon-gamma
• L-Lactate Dehydrogenase

Topics

• Adolescent
• Adult
• CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes (immunology)
• Case-Control Studies
• Child
• Cytokines (metabolism)
• Dermatitis, Atopic (immunology)
• Eosinophils (immunology)
• Flow Cytometry
• Humans
• Immunoglobulin E (blood)
• Interferon-gamma (metabolism)
• Interleukin-13 (metabolism)
• Interleukin-2 (metabolism)
• Interleukin-4 (metabolism)
• L-Lactate Dehydrogenase (blood)
• Leukocyte Count
• Logistic Models
• Receptors, CCR4
• Receptors, Chemokine (analysis)
• Th1 Cells (immunology)
• Th2 Cells (immunology)