Changes of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor α7 expression in CD4+ CD25+T lymphocytes of children with sepsis

Objective To study the expression of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor α7 in CD4+CD25+T lymphocytes of peripheral blood in children with sepsis, and to analyze the role of α7nAChR in the development of sepsis. Methods Forty-nine hospitalized patients with sepsis from Nov. 2011 to Dec. 2012 in PICU of Nanjing Children's Hospital Affiliated to Nanjing Medical University were enrolled, and they were divided into the survival group (n=33) and the dead group (n=16) in accordance with the outcome. At the same time, the total of 40 cases including the children receiving inguinal hernia repair and the children receiving health examination were enrolled as control group. Peripheral venous blood was collected to detect the expression of CD4+/CD25+/α7nAChR by indirect flow cytometry. Simultaneously, the CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, CD4+/CD8+ ratio were detected, and Acute Physiology and Chronic Health EvaluationⅡ(APACHEⅡ) scores were calculated. Results The expressions of CD4+/CD25+/α7nAChR in sepsis group were much lower than those in the control group[(25.8±3.1)% vs (34.9±2.9)%, P<0.05]; and the expression of CD4+CD25+/α7nAChR in the dead group was also significantly lower than that in the survival group[(22.4±2.5)% vs (28.1±2.9)%, P<0.05]. The expressions of α7nAChR on CD4+/CD25+T lymphocytes of peripheral blood in children with sepsis was negatively correlated with the APACHEⅡ score(r=-0.512, P<0.05). The CD3+, CD4+, CD4+/CD8+ ratios in the dead group were significantly lower than those in the control group (all P<0.05); in the survival group and the control group, the values of CD3+, CD4+, CD8+ were not significantly different, while the ratios of CD4+/CD8+ between these 2 groups had a significant difference(P<0.05). Conclusions The expressions of α7nAChR on the CD4+CD25+T lymphocytes in the children with sepsis were reduced, and the expressions were lower, the outcome were worse; the children with sepsis have cell immune dysfunction. Key words: Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor α7; Sepsis; Choline; Lymphocytes