Enhanced TH2-like peripheral adaptive immune responses in Juvenile-onset Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis (JORRP)

•We measured CD8+ T cells and CD4+ T cells of 23 JORRP patients in periphery blood by flow cytometry.•We found the proportions of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in peripheral blood of JORRP patients were comparable with healthy controls.•After PMA stimulation, there was no significant change of IFN-γ secreted either by CD4+ and CD8+ T cells.•Only IL-4 but not IFN-γ secreted by CD4+ T cells was enhanced and serum IL-4 level was elevated in JORRP individuals.

BackgroundDefects in the adaptive immune response to human papillomavirus-6 and -11 are among the most important mechanisms for Juvenile-onset Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis (JORRP) development. However, the percentage of CD8+ T cells and peripheral TH1/TH2 immune responses in Juvenile-onset Recurrent Respiratory Papillomatosis is still not well addressed due to limited sample sizes.MethodsTwenty-three patients who were diagnosed with JORRP and underwent surgical intervention at the Beijing TongRen Hospital from October 2015 to March 2016 were enrolled in our study. The CD8+ T cells and CD4+ T cells in periphery blood were measured by flow cytometry. Intracellular staining was also performed to determine IFN-γ and IL-4 secretion by CD8+ T cells and CD4+ T cells. Serum IFN-γ and IL-4 levels were measured by ELISA.ResultsWe found that the proportions of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells in peripheral blood of JORRP patients were comparable to that of healthy controls. Moreover, after PMA stimulation, there was no significant change in IFN-γ secretion by either CD4+ or CD8+ T cells. The secretion of IL-4 but not IFN-γ by CD4+ T cells was increased, and the serum IL-4 levels were elevated in JORRP patients.ConclusionWe conclude that only TH2 responses were enhanced but that the TH1 responses did not change in the peripheral immunity of JORRP patients.