Chest
Original ResearchCOPDIdentification of Cells Expressing IL-17A and IL-17F in the Lungs of Patients With COPD
Section snippets
Study Subjects
Thirty-eight patients undergoing surgical resection for suspected or confirmed lung cancer were recruited for immunohistochemistry studies (Table 1). A different group of 25 patients undergoing surgery were recruited for gene expression studies using alveolar macrophages (Table 2). Twelve patients with COPD and six nonsmoking control subjects were recruited for induced sputum studies (Table 3). Patients with COPD were diagnosed according to GOLD (Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung
Subepithelial IL-17 Expression
In peripheral lung tissue specimens, IL-17A expression was observed in the infiltrating cells in the subepithelial regions of almost every small airway examined in all three subject groups. Examples of IL-17A subepithelial expression within lung tissue from patients with COPD, smokers, and nonsmokers are presented in Figures 1A-C The number of IL-17A immunoreactive subepithelial cells per square millimeter was increased in patients with COPD compared with control subjects (ANOVA P = .01; COPD
Discussion
We observed increased IL-17A expression in infiltrating inflammatory cells in the subepithelium of the small airways of patients with COPD compared with control subjects. We also observed that IL-17A expression was greater than IL-17F expression in the subepithelial region and that IL-17A was expressed by inflammatory cells other than lymphocytes, including neutrophils and macrophages. In contrast, at other anatomic locations, including the epithelial region, alveolar walls, and lymphoid
Acknowledgments
Author contributions: Dr Eustace: contributed intellectual and technical input to the study design and manuscript preparation.
Dr Smyth: contributed intellectual and technical input to the study design and manuscript preparation.
Ms Mitchell: contributed to the technical work and analysis of the study and review of the manuscript.
Ms Williamson: contributed to the technical work and analysis of the study and review of the manuscript.
Dr Plumb: contributed intellectual and technical input to the
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Funding/Support: This study was funded by an unrestricted research grant from UCB Celltech Ltd.
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