Effect of different inhalant allergens on T-cell subsets in adults with bronchial asthma

Objective: We analyzed the impact of different inhalant allergens on T-lymphocyte subsets in patients diagnosed with bronchial asthma. Methods: The study included 57 bronchial asthma patients and 22 healthy controls. Asthma patients were categorized into dust mite, animal hair, pollen, and mold groups. Flow cytometry was used to measure the cells in the case group and control group. These T-lymphocyte subset markers were evaluated among patients with bronchial asthma caused by different allergens as well as between the case group and control group. Results: Peripheral blood CD4+ T-cells, CD8+ T-cells, CD4/CD8 ratio, and Th17/Treg ratios were all higher in the case group than in the control group (P < 0.05). Peripheral blood T-lymphocyte subsets were compared among the four groups, and it was found that there were statistical differences in the Th17/Treg ratio among the four groups (P < 0.05). There were no significant differences observed among the four groups in terms of CD3+ cells, CD4+ cells, CD8+ cells, Th1 cells, Th2 cells, Th17 cells, Treg cells, Th9 cells, and Th22 cells. Further pairwise comparison was made, and the results suggested that the peripheral blood Th17/Treg ratio in the pollen mixed group was lower than that in the dust mite mixed group, animal hair mixed group, and mold mixed group (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Patients with bronchial asthma show varied T-lymphocyte subset responses to different inhalant allergens. Elevated CD4+ T cells and Th17 cells in peripheral blood could indicate asthma risk. However, small sample size may introduce bias to these findings.