title: Alteration of in vitro immunoglobulin secretion by amosite asbestos.
abstract: We investigated the in vitro effects of amosite asbestos on immunoglobulin (Ig) secretion by human peripheral blood mononuclear leukocytes (MNL). Concentrations of 100 to 300 micrograms/ml of amosite asbestos reduced the number of Ig-secreting cells recovered from 6-day cultures of unstimulated MNL or MNL stimulated with Epstein Barr virus. By contrast, the Ig secretory response to pokeweed mitogen was enhanced by 10 to 100 micrograms/ml concentrations of amosite asbestos; however, amosite asbestos no longer enhanced the response to pokeweed mitogen when MNL were first partially depleted of monocytes (to less than 2%) esterase-positive cells remaining). These results indicate that amosite asbestos has multiple effects on the cells involved in Ig secretion: 1) amosite asbestos inhibits unstimulated B cell function; 2) amosite asbestos inhibits the function of B cells stimulated with the direct B cell activator Epstein Barr virus; and 3) amosite asbestos may alter regulator monocyte function allowing enhanced Ig secretion in the presence of monocyte-dependent B cell triggers such as pokeweed mitogen.
mesh_terms: D000917:Antibody Formation / Q000187:drug effects; D000921:Antibody-Producing Cells / Q000187:drug effects; D001194:Asbestos / Q000009:adverse effects*; D017639:Asbestos, Amosite; D001195:Asbestosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000276:immunology*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D002469:Cell Separation; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D009000:Monocytes / Q000276:immunology; D011043:Pokeweed Mitogens / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D011043:Pokeweed Mitogens; D017639:Asbestos, Amosite; D001194:Asbestos