Objective: To study the function of leukocyte adhesion molecules in the pathogenesis of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Diseases (COPD) and cor pulmonale, and to evaluate the effect of anti-leukocyte-adhesion therapy for cor pulmonale.
Methods: The positive expression rates of CD(11a), CD(11b), CD(18), CD(54) in peripheral blood were quantitatively analyzed by flow cytometry using monoclonal antibodies in 42 cases of COPD (stable stage), 41 cases of cor pulmonale (stable stage), 24 healthy controls as well as 20 cases of cor pulmonale who had taken huobahua.
Results: The expression rates of CD(11a), CD(11b), CD(18), CD(54) in monocytes and CD(11a) in lymphocytes from the COPD group were much higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05). CD(11a), CD(11b), CD(18), CD(54) in neutrophils and CD(11a), CD(18), CD(54) in monocytes, and CD(18) in lymphocytes in the cor pulmonale group were significantly stronger than those in the control group (P < 0.05); whereas the positive expression of CDs was greatly reduced in the cor pulmonale patients who had taken huobahua (P < 0.05). No differences were found in other groups.
Conclusions: Upregulation of CD(11a)/CD(18), CD(11b)/CD(18), CD(54) in monocytes, CD(11a)/CD(18), CD(11b)/CD(18), CD(54) in neutrophils and CD(11a)/CD(18), CD(54) in monocytes in cor pulmonale may promote adhesion of leukocytes with endothelial cells, which may play an important role in the pathogenic process. Huobahua may prevent the development of cor pulmonale by down regulating the expression of CDs.