Abstract
Pigeon breeder's lung (PBL) is a type of lung inflammatory disease associated with the immune response to repeated pigeon-derived antigen exposure. The pathogenesis of PBL remains unclear. In this study, peripheral blood samples were collected from Uygur acute - and chronic-phase PBL patients and healthy subjects with pigeon contact. Foxp3+CD4+ regulatory T cell (Treg) activity in different phases of PBL was characterized by changes in Foxp3+CD4+ Treg, CD4+CD25+ T cell, and T lymphocyte subsets. Based on hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) diagnosis criteria, 32 PBL cases from January 2012 to December 2013 in the People's Hospital of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region Respiratory Department were included. Lung high-resolution computed tomography was performed, and the cases were classified based on the HP phase into 15 acute-phase and 17 chronic-phase cases. The control group included 30 healthy subjects with Uygur pigeon contact. Blood samples were collected, and the T cell subsets were analyzed via flow cytometry. In both PBL groups, the Foxp3+CD4+ Treg and CD4+CD25+ and CD4+CD3+ T cell percentages and CD4+/CD8+ ratios were significantly lower than in the control group (p < 0.01). In the PBL groups, particularly the acute-phase group, the CD8+CD3+ T lymphocyte percentage was significantly higher than in the control group (p < 0.01). There were no significant differences in CD4+CD25+ cells between the PBL groups. In peripheral blood from the PBL groups, the CD4+/CD8+ ratio was positively correlated with the Foxp3+CD4+ Treg (r = 0.864, p < 0.05) and CD4+/CD25+ cell (r = 0.34, p < 0.05) percentages. Low Foxp3+CD4+ Treg expression or overconsumption may be a pathogenic factor in PBL.
Highlights
Pigeon breeder’s lung (PBL), a type of extrinsic allergic alveolitis or hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP), is a pulmonary disease caused by hypersensitivity of the distal bronchi and alveoli that occurs after sensitive individuals repeatedly inhale particles secreted and excreted from pigeons [1]
Compared with the control group, the percentages of Foxp3+CD4+ Tregs and CD4+CD25+ cells were significantly lower in the acute-phase and chronic-phase groups and were the lowest in the acute-phase group (F = 42.84/30.09; p < 0.01)
The percentage of CD4+CD3+ T lymphocytes and the ratio of CD4+/CD8+ T lymphocytes were significantly lower in the acute-phase and chronic-phase groups than in the control group, whereas the percentage of CD8+CD3+ T lymphocytes was significantly higher in these groups compared with the control group (F = 11.94/39.39/347.93; p < 0.01) (Table 3)
Summary
Pigeon breeder’s lung (PBL), a type of extrinsic allergic alveolitis or hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP), is a pulmonary disease caused by hypersensitivity of the distal bronchi and alveoli that occurs after sensitive individuals repeatedly inhale particles secreted and excreted from pigeons [1]. Persistent exposure to allergens can lead to a chronic pathology with lung injuries that are Submitted: 25 March 2016/Accepted: 15 May 2016 normally irreversible; in addition, cyanosis, pulmonary hypertension, and right heart insufficiency may occur during the final stage. A survey of members of pigeon fanciers’ clubs indicated that the morbidity of PBL is approximately 8-30% among pigeon breeders, independent of the season. In Europe and the USA, morbidity is higher among males than females, but the opposite trend is observed in Mexico [2]. Large populations are exposed to pigeons, only 5-15% are affected by this disease [3,4]
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