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Quantitative Assessment of Human Neutrophil Migration Across a Cultured Bladder Epithelium
Published on: November 7, 2013
Quantification of neutrophil migration into the lungs of patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Prina Ruparelia1, Katherine R Szczepura, Charlotte Summers
1Department of Respiratory Medicine, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Cambridge, UK.
Objective:
To quantify neutrophil migration into the lungs of patients with chronic pulmonary obstructive disease (COPD).
Methods:
Neutrophil loss via airways was assessed by dedicated whole-body counting 45 min, 24 h and 2, 4, 7 and 10 days after injection of very small activities of (111)In-labelled neutrophils in 12 healthy nonsmokers, 5 healthy smokers, 16 patients with COPD (of whom 7 were ex-smokers) and 10 patients with bronchiectasis. Lung accumulation of (99m)Tc-labelled neutrophils was assessed by sequential SPECT and Patlak analysis in six COPD patients and three healthy nonsmoking subjects.
Results:
Whole body (111)In counts, expressed as percentages of 24 h counts, decreased in all subjects. Losses at 7 days (mean ± SD) were similar in healthy nonsmoking subjects (5.5 ± 1.5%), smoking subjects (6.5 ± 4.4%) and ex-smoking COPD patients (5.8 ± 1.5%). In contrast, currently smoking COPD patients showed higher losses (8.0 ± 3.0%) than healthy nonsmokers (p = 0.03). Two bronchiectatic patients lost 25% and 26%, indicating active disease; mean loss in the remaining eight was 6.9 ± 2.5%. The rate of accumulation of (99m)Tc-neutrophils in the lungs, determined by sequential SPECT, was increased in COPD patients (0.030-0.073 min(-1)) compared with healthy nonsmokers (0-0.002 min(-1); p = 0.02).
Conclusion:
In patients with COPD, sequential SPECT showed increased lung accumulation of (99m)Tc-labelled neutrophils, while whole-body counting demonstrated subsequent higher losses of (111)In-labelled neutrophils in patients who continued to smoke. Sequential SPECT as a means of quantifying neutrophil migration deserves further evaluation.
Insights
Neutrophil migration into the lungs is increased in chronic pulmonary obstructive disease (COPD) patients. Smoking COPD patients exhibit higher neutrophil loss, suggesting active disease and highlighting the need for further evaluation of sequential SPECT imaging for neutrophil migration.
Area of Science:
- Pulmonary Medicine
- Nuclear Medicine
- Immunology
Background:
- Chronic pulmonary obstructive disease (COPD) is a significant respiratory illness characterized by airway inflammation.
- Neutrophil infiltration into the lungs is a key pathological feature of COPD, contributing to disease progression.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantify neutrophil migration into the lungs of patients with COPD.
- To investigate the relationship between smoking status and neutrophil kinetics in COPD patients.
Main Methods:
- Utilized whole-body counting of indium-111 (111In)-labeled neutrophils to assess neutrophil loss via airways.
- Employed sequential single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and Patlak analysis with technetium-99m (99mTc)-labeled neutrophils to quantify lung accumulation.
Main Results:
- COPD patients demonstrated increased lung accumulation of 99mTc-neutrophils compared to healthy non-smokers.
- Currently smoking COPD patients showed significantly higher neutrophil losses at 7 days post-injection compared to healthy non-smokers.
- Elevated neutrophil loss was also observed in patients with bronchiectasis, indicating active disease.
Conclusions:
- Sequential SPECT imaging reveals increased lung neutrophil accumulation in COPD patients.
- Whole-body counting indicates greater neutrophil loss in active smokers with COPD.
- These findings suggest sequential SPECT is a promising method for quantifying neutrophil migration in COPD, warranting further investigation.
