[CD4+CD25+CD127low (Treg) cell numbers in patients with allergic rhinitis with and without immunotherapy].

Background: Allergic rhinitis and asthma are the most common chronic inflammatory diseases affecting the respiratory tract. A subgroup of regulatory T cells, CD4+CD25+, participates in the control of allergic diseases.

Objetive: To determine if there is a difference in the number of peripheral blood regulatory T cells, identified as CD4+CD25+CD127low, of patients with rhinitis compared to healthy controls; if there is correlation of the number of these cells with other manifestations of the disease and if that number changes in the same individual after immunotherapy.

Methods: In 37 patients with allergic rhinitis CD4+CD25+CD127low T cells were quantified by flow cytometry, percentages of eosinophils in blood and nasal secretions were determined in smear, total serum IgE concentrations were measured by ELISA and serum PCR concentrations using a immunoturbidimetric assay.

Results: At baseline the percentage of CD4+CD25+CD127low T cells was higher in patients than in controls (8.031 ± 1.507 vs. 7.316 ± 1.309, p = 0.03). After a year of immunotherapy, the number of regulatory T cells did not show any significant difference respect to the initial value (7.39 ± 1.43 vs. 7.36 ± 1.22; p = 0.9387). The number of regulatory T cells after a year of immunotherapy showed correlation with the eosinophils percentage in nasal secretion (r = 0.7178, p = 0.0234).

Conclusions: The number of regulatory T cells in allergic rhinitis is increased probably due to induced generation in response to the chronic inflammation of the nasal mucosa.