J Korean Med Sci.  2004 Oct;19(5):640-646. 10.3346/jkms.2004.19.5.640.

Effects of Cytokine Milieu Secreted by BCG-treated Dendritic Cells on Allergen-Specific Th Immune Response

• Koh YI
• Choi IS
• Lee JJ

• KMID: 1733501
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2004.19.5.640

Abstract

Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) is reported to suppress Th2 response and asthmatic reaction. Dendritic cells (DCs), the major antigen-presenting cells, infections with BCG are known to result in inducing various cytokines. Thus, DCs are likely to play a role in the effects of BCG on asthma. This study aims at investigating that cytokine milieu secreted by BCG-treated DCs directly enhances allergen-specific Th1 response and/or suppresses Th2 response in allergic asthma. DCs and CD3+ T cells were generated from Dermatophagoides farinae-sensitive asthmatics. DCs were cultured with and without BCG and subjected to flow cytometric analysis. IL-12 and IL-10 were determined from the culture supernatants. Some DCs were cocultured with T cells in the presence of D. farinae extracts after adding the culture supernatants from BCG-treated DCs, and IL-5 and IFN-gamma were determined. BCG-treated DCs enhanced significantly the expressions of CD80, CD86, and CD40, and the productions of IL-12 and IL-10. Addition of culture supernatants from BCG-treated DCs up-regulated production of IFN-gamma by T cells stimulated by DCs and D. farinae extracts (p<0.05), but did not down-regulate production of IL-5 (p>0.05). The cytokine milieu secreted by BCG-treated DCs directly enhanced allergen-specific Th1 response, although did not suppress Th2 response.

Keyword

Asthma; Cytokines; Dendritic Cells; Mycobacterium bovis; T-lymphocytes

MeSH Terms

Antigens, Dermatophagoides/*immunology
Asthma/*immunology
Cells, Cultured
Coculture Techniques
Culture Media
Cytokines/*immunology/secretion
Dendritic Cells/cytology/*immunology/secretion
Humans
Hypersensitivity/immunology
Interferon Type II/immunology/secretion
Interleukin-10/immunology/secretion
Interleukin-12/immunology/secretion
Interleukin-5/immunology/secretion
Lymphocyte Activation/immunology
Mycobacterium bovis/*immunology
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Th2 Cells/cytology/immunology/secretion
Up-Regulation/immunology

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Comparisons of surface antigen expression between untreated DCs and BCG-treated DCs from asthmatics. Expression represents the percentage of positive cells on FACS analysis after staining with the corresponding antibodies. Data are expressed mean±SEM. Statistical significance was determined by using the Wilcoxon's signed-rank test.

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  Fig. 2 Comparisons of IL-12 (A) and IL-10 (B) productions between untreated DCs and BCG-treated DCs from asthmatics. Statistical significance was determined by using the Wilcoxon's signed-rank test.

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  Fig. 3 Comparisons of T cell proliferations among T cell alone (T), T-DC coculture (T/DC), T-DC coculture in the presence of D. farinae extracts (T/DC/Df), and T-DC coculture in the presence of D. farinae extracts after adding the culture supernatant from BCG-treated DC (T/DC/Df/Supernatant) in D. farinae-sensitive asthmatics. Statistical significance was determined by using the Wilcoxon's signed-rank test.

• 

  Fig. 4 Comparisons of IFN-γ (A) and IL-5 (B) productions by T cells from D. farinae-sensitive asthmatics between T-DC coculture in the presence of D. farinae extracts (T/DC/Df) and T-DC coculture in the presence of D. farinae extracts after adding the culture supernatant from BCG-treated DC (T/DC/Df/Supernatant). Statistical significance was determined by using the Wilcoxon's signed-rank test.

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