Influence of cigarette-smoke extract conditioned medium on CD4+ T cell differentiation in vitro

Tobacco smoke exposure has been identified as most common cause of COPD. However, the pathogenetic mechanisms leading to disease development are still poorly understood. Increased numbers of CD4+ T cells are observed in lungs of COPD patients suggesting an involvement of adaptive immune response mechanisms in consequence of cigarette smoke exposure. Thus, the aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of cigarette smoke-derived components on the differentiation of T helper cell subsets in vitro. We analyzed the influence of cigarette smoke extract-conditioned medium (CSE) on the differentiation of…