1.Characterization of Immune Cells From the Lungs of Patients With Chronic Non-Tuberculous Mycobacteria or Pseudomonas aeruginosa Infection
Alan R. SCHENKEL ; John D. MITCHELL ; Carlyne D. COOL ; Xiyuan BAI ; Steve GROSHONG ; Tilman KOELSCH ; Deepshikha VERMA ; Diane ORDWAY ; Edward D. CHAN
Immune Network 2022;22(3):e27-
Little is known of the lung cellular immunophenotypes in patients with non-tuberculous mycobacterial lung disease (NTM-LD). Flow-cytometric analyses for the major myeloid and lymphoid cell subsets were performed in less- and more-diseased areas of surgically resected lungs from six patients with NTM-LD and two with Pseudomonas aeruginosa lung disease (PsA-LD). Lymphocytes, comprised mainly of NK cells, CD4 + and CD8 + T cells, and B cells, accounted for ~60% of all leukocytes, with greater prevalence of T and B cells in morediseased areas. In contrast, fewer neutrophils were found with decreased number in morediseased areas. Compared to NTM-LD, lung tissues from patients with PsA-LD demonstrated relatively lower numbers of T and B lymphocytes but similar numbers of NK cells. While this study demonstrated a large influx of lymphocytes into the lungs of patients with chronic NTM-LD, further analyses of their phenotypes are necessary to determine the significance of these findings.