Low Th17 cells in patients with cystic fibrosis and allergic broncho-pulmonary aspergillosis.

Summary: Cystic fibrosis (CF) patients often get sick from a common fungus called Aspergillus. Sometimes, this fungus causes a severe allergic reaction in their lungs, known as ABPA. To find out why some patients get this severe reaction while others don't, scientists looked at their blood and spit. They found that patients with this severe allergy have fewer of a specific type of white blood cell, called Th17 cells. These cells usually act like security guards to help fight off fungal infections. Because these patients don't have enough of these helpful cells, their bodies struggle to handle the fungus, leading to the severe lung allergy.