Activation lymphocytaire expression de l'adhesion moleculaire et adhesion a l'endothelium vasculaire dans l'asthme

ABSTRACT

Patients with asthma are characterized by mucosal infiltration of bronchi with inflammatory cells, mainly memory helper cells [CD4+ CD29+]. An important initiating step in tissue infiltration is the adhesion of peripheral blood lymphocytes to the vascular endothelium. Therefore, we studied lymphocyte - endothelium adhesion in 10 patients with asthma and in 10 healthy controls by a sensitive fluorimetric assay, using human umbilical vascular endothelial cells. Expression of adhesion molecule VLA [CD29] and LFA-1 [CD11a] on CD4+ and CD8+ T cells was determined. LFA-1 on T lymphocytes and its density was highly expressed in patients with asthma compared to healthy controls [P < 0,001]. Serum levels of slL-2R were significantly higher in patients group compared with controls [P<0,01]. Lymphocyte - endothelium adhesions was increased in patients with asthma. These results demontrate that peripheral blood lymphocytesare activated, as demontrated by elevated slL-2R levels and increased numbers of CD29+ cells. There was also increased lymphocyte adhesion to endothelial cells in asthma compared to controls, demonstrated that functional adhesion properties are correlated with more presence of CD29 on the cell