The Correlation Of T Lymphocyte Subsets And Serum Endogenous Cortisol In Peripheral Blood In COPD And Asthma

Objects:To investigate the relationship between the count of T lymphocyte subsets and the concentration of endogenous cortisol in peripheral blood in patients with COPD or asthma, which will provide a reference for diagnosis,intervention and treatment of COPD or asthma.Methods:We randomly selected 40 patients with COPD (24 males and 16 females, the average age 67.53±6.92),30 patients with asthma (11 males and 19 females, the average age 40.97±15.96), and 30 healthy examined people (18 males and 12 females, the average age 63.57±8.21) as control group. All the objects had not been treated by the glucocorticoid and immunosuppressor within one month, who did't have cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, liver, renal, connective tissue, oncologic disease and other infectious disease. The count of CD3+, CD4+, CD8+ T cells in peripheral blood was quantified by the flow cytometry (QFCM), and the concentration of endogenous cortisol in peripheral blood was determined by radio immunoassay (RIA). Data were evaluated for normality and the nonparametric analysis approach was considered if data were not normal. One-way ANOVA was used to test the overall group effect for each parameter. If an overall group effect was detected (p<0.05), then test was performed to identify individual group differences.Results:1. The number of CD3+ T cells in COPD group was significantly lower than it in asthma(p<0.01), however, there was no significant difference between asthma and control group (p>0.05); The number of CD4+,CD8+T cells in COPD group was significantly decreased, as compared to asthma and control groups (p<0.05), but there was no significant difference between asthma and control group (p>0.05); the number of T cells in COPD severe group,asthma uncontrol group was significantly reduced than it in control group (p<0.05).2. The concentration of endogenous cortisol in peripheral blood was 8.47 1±3.02μg/dl (control group),3.61±1.99μg/dl (COPD group),5.88±3.16μg/dl (asthma group) respectively, which in COPD,asthma group was significantly lower than it in control group (p<0.01), furthermore, there was significantly difference between COPD and asthma group(p<0.05); the concentration in control group was significantly increased compared to COPD mild,severe and asthma uncontrol groups (p<0.05).3. The age in COPD severe group was significantly higher than it in mild group (t=-4.483, p<0.01),and the course of COPD was longer than it in mild group (t=-2.964, p<0.01). The number of CD4+T cells and the concentration of endogenous cortisol in COPD severe group were significantly decreased than those in mile group(t=3.694,3.347,p<0.01), nevertheless, the number of CD3+,CD8+T cells was no significant difference between these two groups (p>0.05).4. As compared to asthma control group, the number of CD3+,CD4+,CD8+T cells in asthma uncontrol group was significantly increased (t=-4.363,-4.481,-2.986, p<0.01), meanwhile, the concentration of endogenous cortisol was significantly decreased (t=3.955, p<0.01).5. The age in COPD and asthma groups was significantly negatively correlated with the number of CD3+,CD4+,CD8+T cells,the concentration of endogenous cortisol (r=-0.405,-0.461,-0.264,-0.454, p<0.05) respectively; The course in COPD and asthma groups was significantly negatively correlated with the number of CD3+,CD4+,CD8+T cells,the concentration of endogenous cortisol (r=-0.328,-0.326,-0.203,-0.376, p<0.01); the concentration of endogenous cortisol in COPD and asthma groups was significantly positively correlated with the number of CD3+,CD4+,CD8+T cells (r=0.573,0.630,0.397, p<0.01)Conclusion:T lymphocyte subsets play a major role in the chronic airway inflammation, the T cells immune response was positively correlated with the course and condition of the chronic airway inflammation. The concentration of endogenous cortisol in peripheral blood was highly related with the condition of disease, which can respond the function of adrenal cortex, moreover, the decline of adrenocortical function was one of the extrapulmonary manifestations in COPD and asthma.The number of T lymphocyte subsets was positively correlated the concentration of endogenous cortisol in COPD and asthma, and they may play a synergic action in the development of COPD and asthma.