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. 2021 May 27:16:1425-1435.
doi: 10.2147/COPD.S306406. eCollection 2021.

T-Helper 17 Cell/Regulatory T-Cell Imbalance in COPD Combined with T2DM Patients

Cheng Wang  1 , Hong Wang  2 , Luming Dai  1 , Jianqing Zhang  1 , Lizhou Fang  1 , Ling Liu  1 , Weiping Fu  1 , Dang Tang  3
Affiliations

T-Helper 17 Cell/Regulatory T-Cell Imbalance in COPD Combined with T2DM Patients

Cheng Wang et al. Int J Chron Obstruct Pulmon Dis. .

Abstract

Background: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is often combined with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in clinical, and with poor prognosis. In recent years, research shows that inflammation is a common characteristic of COPD and T2DM. T-helper 17 cell (Th17)/regulatory T-cell (Treg) balance controls inflammation and may be important in the pathogenesis of COPD combined with T2DM patients. This study investigated the characteristics of Th17, Treg and related inflammatory factors in COPD combined with T2DM patients and the potential mechanism.

Methods: Application of flow cytometry technology, real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR and ELISA to detect the changes in peripheral blood of Th17 and Treg number and the expression of key transcription factors and related cytokines in COPD combined T2DM patients were performed.

Results: Patients with COPD combined with T2DM revealed significant increase in peripheral Th17, Th17 related cytokines (IL-17A, IL-17F, IL-21, IL-23, IL-6) and transcription factor (RORγt) levels and significant decrease in Treg, Treg-related cytokines (IL-10, TGFβ1) and transcription factor (Foxp3) as compared with patients with COPD, T2DM and healthy controls.

Conclusion: Th17/Treg functional imbalance exists in patients with COPD combined with T2DM, indicating a potential role of Th17/Treg imbalance in the formation and progression of COPD combined with T2DM.

Keywords: COPD combined with T2DM; Th17/Treg; cytokine; transcription factor.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors report no conflicts of interests in this work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Representative flow cytometric dot-plots of peripheral blood Th17 cells in the each group of subjects. (A) is Healthy control; (B) is COPD patient; (C) is T2DM patient; (D) is COPD+T2DM patient. The percentage of positive cells is shown in each panel.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Representative flow cytometric dot-plots of peripheral blood Tregs cells in the each group of subjects. (A) is Healthy control; (B) is COPD patient; (C) is T2DM patient; (D) is COPD+T2DM patient. The percentage of positive cells is shown in each panel.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Imbalance of circulating Th17 and Tregs in COPD, T2DM and COPD combined with T2DM patients. (A) Comparisons of Th17 and Treg cell percentages in peripheral blood from healthy controls, COPD, T2DM and COPD combined with T2DM patients. (B) Comparisons of Th17 cell percentages in the 4 groups. (C) Comparisons of Treg cell percentages in the 4 groups. (D) Comparisons of the ratios of Th17/Treg in the 4 groups. The data are represented as the mean ± SD; a value of *P <0.05 was considered statistically significant.
Figure 4
Figure 4
The relative levels of Foxp3 and RORγt mRNA transcripts to the control glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) in PBMCs from healthy controls, COPD, T2DM and COPD combined with T2DM patients. (A and C) Comparisons of RORγt in the 4 groups. (B and D) Comparisons of Foxp3 in the 4 groups. The data are represented as the mean ± SD; a value of **P <0.01 was considered statistically significant. COPD (C group), T2DM (D group) and COPD combined with T2DM (C+D group).
Figure 5
Figure 5
Disordered homeostasis of serum IL-17A, IL-17F, IL-21, IL-23, IL-10, TGF-β1 and IL-6 in COPD, T2DM and COPD combined with T2DM patients. Levels of inflammatory cytokines were quantified by ELISA in the 4 groups (A) IL-17A, (B) IL-17F, (C) IL-21, (D) IL-23, (E) IL-10, (F) TGF-β1, (G) IL-6. The data are represented as the mean ± SD; a value of *P <0.05 or **P <0.01 was considered statistically significant. COPD (C group), T2DM (D group) and COPD combined with T2DM (C+D group).
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