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Flow Cytometric Analysis for Identification of the Innate and Adaptive Immune Cells of Murine Lung
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Small macrophages are present in early childhood respiratory disease

Luke W Garratt1, Adam K A Wright, Sarath C Ranganathan

  • 1Telethon Institute for Child Health Research, Centre for Child Health Research, The University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia, 6008. lgarratt@ichr.uwa.edu.au

Journal of Cystic Fibrosis : Official Journal of the European Cystic Fibrosis Society
|December 23, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Small macrophages, a recently identified cell type, were investigated in pediatric cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. These cells were not unique to CF in children, suggesting chronicity drives their dominance in adults.

Area of Science:

  • Pulmonology
  • Immunology
  • Cell Biology

Background:

  • A "small macrophage" phenotype has been identified in sputum of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
  • Limited data exists on the prevalence of small macrophages in the airways of young children.
  • Respiratory inflammation is an early feature of CF, prompting investigation into pediatric CF airways.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the prevalence of small macrophages in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid from pediatric patients with CF.
  • To determine if small macrophages are increased in pediatric CF compared to disease controls.

Main Methods:

  • Macrophage populations in BAL fluid from CF and disease control groups were analyzed using multicolour flow cytometry.
  • BAL inflammatory indices were collected as part of the AREST-CF program.

Main Results:

  • Small macrophages were detected in CF patients (36±12% of BAL macrophages) and disease controls (40±21%).
  • The difference in small macrophage prevalence between CF and control groups was not statistically significant.
  • The number of small macrophages showed a significant positive correlation with the number of BAL neutrophils (r=0.44, p<0.01).
  • No significant correlation was found between small macrophages and infection or IL-8 levels.

Conclusions:

  • Small macrophages are not exclusive to CF in pediatric patients.
  • The dominance of small macrophages observed in adult CF patients may be attributed to the chronicity of inflammation and infection over time.
Abstract

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