Changes in T-lymphocyte population containing chemokine receptors in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Summary. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a difficult-to-treat progressive disease. About 14.7–68.6 % of COPD cases are not related to smoking. We examined 21 nonsmokers with COPD, 20 smokers with COPD, 20 healthy nonsmokers and 21 healthy smokers. Relative number of peripheral blood T-lymphocytes containing CCR5 and CXCR3 chemokine receptors was determined by flow cytometry. CXCR3+ and CCR5+ T-cell per cent number was increased in non-smokers with COPD compared with healthy non-smokers. A higher proportion of T-cells containing CCR5 and CXCR3 receptors on the cell surface was also observed in blood of smokers with COPD compared both to healthy smokers and nonsmokers. Our findings suggest similar mechanism of T-cells migration from blood into the airways both in non-smoking and smoking patients.