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Int J Clin Exp Pathol 2013;6(2):290-296
Original Article
Comparative analysis of dendritic cell numbers and
subsets between smoking and control subjects in
the peripheral blood
Xue-Qin Chen, Xiao-Fan Liu, Wei-Huang Liu, Wei Guo, Qilin Yu, Cong-Yi Wang
Division of Respiratory Medicine, Renmin Hospital, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China; School of Medicine, Wuhan
University, Wuhan, China; The Center for Biomedical Research, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong
University of Science and Technology, 1095 Jiefang Ave. Wuhan 430030, China
Received November 8, 2012; Accepted November 30, 2012; Epub January 15, 2013; Published February 1, 2013
Abstract: It has been well known that smoking alters the property and functionality of a wide range of immune
cells including dendritic cells (DCs). However, a great deal of effort in the past has been mainly devoted to dissect
the effect of smoking on pulmonary DCs, while its exact impact on circulating DCs remains to be fully addressed.
Therefore, in the present report we particularly examined the impact of smoking on the number and subset of DCs
in the peripheral blood by multi-parametric flow cytometry analysis. A significant increase for peripheral blood mononuclear
cells (PBMCs) was noted in the smoking subjects. Subsequent studies revealed that the percentage for
plasmacytoid DCs (pDCs) and total DCs in PBMCs was significantly higher in the smoking subjects as compared with
that of control subjects, while the percentage for myeloid DCs (mDCs) did not differ between two groups. It was also
found that the absolute number for total DCs, mDCs and pDCs were significantly higher in the smoking subjects than
that of control subject. However, the mDC/pDC ratio was significantly reduced, suggesting that smoking impairs the
balance of DC subsets. Given that pDCs are in favor of tolerogenic function, our data support that smoking could
induce the production of pDCs to manifest immunosuppressive properties in the chronic smokers. (IJCEP1211006).
Keywords: Smoking, dendritic cells, plasmacytoid dendritic cells, myeloid dendritic cells
Address all correspondence to:
Dr. Xue-Qin Chen
Division of Respiratory Medicine, Renmin Hospital,
Wuhan University, Wuhan, China. Phone: 86 27
8804 1919; Fax: +86 27 8807 3047
E-mail: snowchen170@yahoo.com;
Dr. Cong-Yi Wang
The Center for Biomedical Research, Tongji Hospital
Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology
1095 Jiefang Ave. Wuhan 430030, China.
Phone: 86 27 8366 3485; Fax: 86 27 8366 3486
E-mail: cwang@georgiahealth.edu
Original Article
Comparative analysis of dendritic cell numbers and
subsets between smoking and control subjects in
the peripheral blood
Xue-Qin Chen, Xiao-Fan Liu, Wei-Huang Liu, Wei Guo, Qilin Yu, Cong-Yi Wang
Division of Respiratory Medicine, Renmin Hospital, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China; School of Medicine, Wuhan
University, Wuhan, China; The Center for Biomedical Research, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong
University of Science and Technology, 1095 Jiefang Ave. Wuhan 430030, China
Received November 8, 2012; Accepted November 30, 2012; Epub January 15, 2013; Published February 1, 2013
Abstract: It has been well known that smoking alters the property and functionality of a wide range of immune
cells including dendritic cells (DCs). However, a great deal of effort in the past has been mainly devoted to dissect
the effect of smoking on pulmonary DCs, while its exact impact on circulating DCs remains to be fully addressed.
Therefore, in the present report we particularly examined the impact of smoking on the number and subset of DCs
in the peripheral blood by multi-parametric flow cytometry analysis. A significant increase for peripheral blood mononuclear
cells (PBMCs) was noted in the smoking subjects. Subsequent studies revealed that the percentage for
plasmacytoid DCs (pDCs) and total DCs in PBMCs was significantly higher in the smoking subjects as compared with
that of control subjects, while the percentage for myeloid DCs (mDCs) did not differ between two groups. It was also
found that the absolute number for total DCs, mDCs and pDCs were significantly higher in the smoking subjects than
that of control subject. However, the mDC/pDC ratio was significantly reduced, suggesting that smoking impairs the
balance of DC subsets. Given that pDCs are in favor of tolerogenic function, our data support that smoking could
induce the production of pDCs to manifest immunosuppressive properties in the chronic smokers. (IJCEP1211006).
Keywords: Smoking, dendritic cells, plasmacytoid dendritic cells, myeloid dendritic cells
Address all correspondence to:
Dr. Xue-Qin Chen
Division of Respiratory Medicine, Renmin Hospital,
Wuhan University, Wuhan, China. Phone: 86 27
8804 1919; Fax: +86 27 8807 3047
E-mail: snowchen170@yahoo.com;
Dr. Cong-Yi Wang
The Center for Biomedical Research, Tongji Hospital
Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology
1095 Jiefang Ave. Wuhan 430030, China.
Phone: 86 27 8366 3485; Fax: 86 27 8366 3486
E-mail: cwang@georgiahealth.edu
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