Pediatr Allergy Immunol. 2025 Apr;36(4):e70090. doi: 10.1111/pai.70090.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA) is a hypersensitivity response to the allergens of Aspergillus fumigatus, which is the most frequently isolated fungus from the sputum of cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. Because a low number of Th17 lymphocytes is associated with the risk of fungal infections, we investigated inflammatory markers, Th17 cells, and T-cell polarization in CF patients with ABPA.
METHODS: We analyzed the levels of inflammatory markers, blood counts, chemokines, cytokines, and T cell subsets in blood and sputum of CF subjects to elucidate the immunological factors associated with CF patients with Aspergillus fumigatus (AF) positive sputum (AFS+) or with ABPA.
RESULTS: We observed that AFS+ patients have higher sputum and blood IL-6 levels than AF-negative sputum (AFS–) patients. Analysis of blood memory T-helper subsets associated with Th1, Th2, and Th17 polarization among circulating CD45RA-/CD4+ memory T-cell subsets showed higher numbers of CCR4+/CCR6+/CXCR3– and CCR4+/CCR6+/CXCR3+ memory CD4 cells in AFS+ compared to AFS– subjects. Further analysis of Th17-related subsets and IL-17 secreting T cells in subjects with AFS+ showed that those with ABPA have statistically significantly lower levels of Th17 cells as compared to those without ABPA.
CONCLUSION: In CF, AF airway colonization is associated with increased blood counts of Th17-related subsets. However, CF patients with ABPA exhibit lower numbers of CCR4+/CCR6+/CXCR3+ memory CD4 cells and IL-17-secreting CD4 cells compared to control subjects and CF patients without AF sensitization.
PMID:40238087 | DOI:10.1111/pai.70090
