title: Interleukin-8, interleukin-6, and soluble tumour necrosis factor receptor type I release from a human pulmonary epithelial cell line (A549) exposed to respiratory syncytial virus.
abstract: The release of interleukin-8 (IL-8), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and the soluble forms of the tumour necrosis factor receptor (sTNF-R) from human pulmonary type II-like epithelial cells (A549) after respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection was analysed. RSV infection alone induced a time- and RSV dose-dependent IL-8 and IL-6 release from A549 cells. Furthermore, the soluble form of the TNF-RI was also secreted in a time- and RSV dose-dependent fashion. The soluble TNF-RII was not detected in the cell supernatant of infected epithelial cells. The effect of various cytokines [IL-1 alpha/beta, TNF-alpha/beta, IL-3, IL-6, interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), transforming growth factor-beta 2 (TGF-beta 2)] and colony-stimulating factors [granulocyte (G)-CSF; granulocyte-macrophage (GM)-CSF] on the IL-8 release from A549 cells was also studied. Our data show that the proinflammatory cytokines IL-1 alpha/beta and TNF-alpha/beta induced an IL-8 release in non-infected A549 cells, and increased the IL-8 release of RSV-infected A549 cells synergistically. In addition, IL-3, G-CSF, IFN-gamma and TGF-beta 2, albeit at high concentrations, induced a low IL-8 release from non-infected A549 cells. The enhanced IL-8 secretion rates were accompanied with elevated cytoplasmic IL-8 mRNA steady state levels, as was shown by Northern blot analysis. Cellular co-culture experiments performed with A549 cells and polymorphonuclear granulocytes or peripheral blood mononuclear cells revealed that increased IL-8 amounts were secreted in the co-culture of non-infected as well as RSV-infected cells. The present study suggests a central role for the airway epithelium during RSV infection with regard to cytokine and cytokine receptor release, resulting in a recruitment and activation of inflammatory and immune effector cells. Our data also suggest that paracrine cytokine networks and cell-cell contact are involved in the regulation of IL-8 secretion within the microenvironment of the bronchial epithelium.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, AG Infektabwehr, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Arnold
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Humbert
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Werchau
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gallati
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: König
mesh_terms: D015152:Blotting, Northern; D002460:Cell Line; D016207:Cytokines / Q000276:immunology; D004306:Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic; D004848:Epithelium / Q000276:immunology; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000276:immunology; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism*; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008168:Lung / Q000276:immunology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D018123:Receptors, Interleukin / Q000235:genetics; D023062:Receptors, Interleukin-8A; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D018357:Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infections / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D015850:Interleukin-6; D016209:Interleukin-8; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018123:Receptors, Interleukin; D023062:Receptors, Interleukin-8A; D018124:Receptors, Tumor Necrosis Factor; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor