UNUSUAL PHENOTYPIC FEATURES OF LYMPHOCYTES IN BLOOD OF BRONCHIAL ASTHMA PATIENTS DURING EXACERBATION
The purpose of the present work was to study the content of regulatory T-lymphocytes (Tregs), activated T helpers (Th) and natural killer (NK) cells in the blood of bronchial asthma patients in the period of exacerbation and to compare with healthy controls. To characterize percentages of different lymphocyte subpopulations, we applied multicolor fluorescent flow cytometry. The content of Tregs and Th cells were determined by simultaneous staining with antibodies towards CD4, CD25, and FoxP3 markers. To measure of NK-cell percentages, antibodies to CD16 and CD56 were applied. Significant increase in the content of activated CD4+CD25+Foxp3 <sup>-</sup>Th cells was shown in the patients’ group. At the same ti me quantities of Tregs remained on the same level. In this study we observed the patients manifesting increased as well as decreased percentages of NK-cells. However, even patients with increased NK cells showed abnormalities in expression of NK-cell activation CD58 and NKG2D markers. Taken together, there are changes in subpopulation composition of lymphocytes during exacerbation of bronchial asthma manifesting. The alterations were observed first of all in the increasing of the content of activated Th cells and modulation of NK-cell activation markers expression profile.