Do the molecules CD26 and lymphocytes activation gene-3 differentiate between type 1 and 2 T cell response?

BACKGROUND: The Th1/Th2 paradigm is considered to be responsible for the development of many immunological disorders, including atopic diseases and diabetes mellitus type 1. So far, however, no unequivocal markers identifying the two subpopulations of T cells have been found.
OBJECTIVE: To examine the expression of two putative markers of Th1-mediated disorders, CD26 and lymphocytes activation gene-3 molecules, on CD4+ and CD8+ lymphocytes in the peripheral blood of atopic and diabetic donors.
METHODS: 11 patients (9 males/2 females, age range: 21-29, median age: 23) suffering from episodic atopic bronchial asthma (AO group) and 11 patients (9 males/2 females, age range: 33-47, median age: 42) with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (DM group) were included into the study. Atopy was excluded in all diabetic patients. The following T cell subsets were analyzed by flow cytometry (FAC-Scan): CD8+CD26+, CD4+CD26+, CD4+LAG-3+, CD8+LAG-3+, and CD56+. Nonparametric tests were used for statistical analysis, and results were expressed as median and quartile range.
RESULTS: Among all analyzed T cell subsets, the number of CD4+LAG-3+ and CD8+LAG-3+ cells was significantly higher in the A0 group--8.3% (5.4-11.7) vs DM 5.4% (3.9-5.9), p < 0.05, and 13.3% (8.8-19) vs DM: 7.1% (6.2-8.3), p < 0.008, respectively. The ratio between CD4+/CD8+ subsets was similar in both groups: CD4+CD26+/CD8+CD26+--AO: 7.2 (5.3-10.1); DM: 6.4 (5.5-12.6), p = 0.77 and CD4+LAG-3+/CD8+LAG-3+--AO: 0.64 (0.58-0.67); DM: 0.71 (0.64-0.78), p = 0.082.
CONCLUSION: The results suggest that the two examined putative markers of type 1 T cells do not discriminate between Th1- and Th2-dominated responses.