The Decreased CD4⁺CD25⁺ FoxP3⁺ T Cells in Nonstimulated Allergic Rhinitis Patients Sensitized to House Dust Mites

Abstract

Objective. Regulatory (CD4⁺CD25⁺) T cells have been shown to play an important role in the development of allergic diseases. This study aims to investigate CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells, Forkhead box P3 (FoxP3⁺ cells), and T-helper 1/T-helper 2 (Th1/Th2) cytokines in newly diagnosed allergic rhinitis (AR) patients. Methods. Altogether, 10 subjects with AR and 12 age-matched nonallergic healthy subjects were included in this study. CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells, FoxP3⁺ T cells in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were evaluated by flow cytometry, and the Th1/Th2 cytokine levels were determined by cytometric bead array immunoassay in both PBMC supernatants and nasal lavage fluids. Results. The percentage of CD4⁺CD25⁺ T cells were significantly higher, whereas the percentage of FoxP3⁺ cells were lower in AR patients compared with healthy subjects. In PBMC culture supernatants, interleukin-10 (IL-10) levels were significantly lower (p = .012), whereas IL-4, IL-5, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels in nasal lavage fluids were higher in AR patients compared with healthy subjects (p = .026, p = .015, p = .03, respectively). Conclusions. Our findings indicate that decrease in CD4⁺CD25⁺FoxP3⁺ T cell fraction and diminished levels of IL-10 are noteworthy without allergen stimulation in house dust mite AR patients.

• allergic rhinitis
• FoxP3
• nasal lavage fluid
• regulatory T cells
• Th1/Th2 cytokines

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Feyza Tuncer, M.Sc., for critically reading and correcting the article.