title: Prevention of corticosteroid-induced suppression of human polymorphonuclear leukocyte-induced damage of Aspergillus fumigatus hyphae by granulocyte colony-stimulating factor and gamma interferon.
abstract: Neutrophils (PMNs) are a critical line of defense against Aspergillus fumigatus infection. Increased frequency of invasive aspergillosis has been observed in patients receiving corticosteroids, suggesting a deleterious effect of these compounds on PMN antifungal function. To investigate this hypothesis and to determine the potential preventive utility of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) and gamma interferon (IFN-gamma), the effects of hydrocortisone (HCS) and dexamethasone (DXS) on PMN-induced damage of Aspergillus fumigatus hyphae were studied with or without pretreatment of PMNs with G-CSF and IFN-gamma. PMNs treated with HCS (> or = 3,000 microM) or DXS (> or = 10 microM) during a 2-h colorimetric tetrazolium metabolic assay (using methylthiotetrazolium) showed suppressed percentage of hyphal damage (P < 0.02). In addition, both HCS (> or = 30 microM) and DXS (> or = 1 microM) significantly suppressed oxidative burst measured as superoxide anion release by PMNs in response to opsonized and nonopsonized hyphae as well as to N-formylmethionyl leucyl phenylalanine. Pretreatment of PMNs with G-CSF (4,000 U/ml) and/or IFN-gamma (100 and 1,000 U/ml) for 90 min prevented the suppression of hyphal damage that occurred in the presence of HCS (3,000 microM; P < 0.01) or DXS (10 microM; P < or = 0.001). G-CSF (4,000 U/ml) and IFN-gamma (100 U/ml) combined had an additive effect on increasing the antifungal activity of HCS-treated but not of DXS-treated PMNs compared with IFN-gamma alone (P = 0.015). Thus, these findings reveal that corticosteroids impair PMN function in response to A. fumigatus and that G-CSF and IFN-gamma prevent this impairment.
authors.affiliation: Infectious Diseases Section, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, Maryland 20892.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Roilides
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Uhlig
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Venzon
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Pizzo
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Walsh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001232:Aspergillus fumigatus / Q000276:immunology*; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D016897:Respiratory Burst / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D016179:Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor; D003907:Dexamethasone; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D006854:Hydrocortisone