title: Iron differentially modulates the CD4-lck and CD8-lck complexes in resting peripheral blood T-lymphocytes.
abstract: Clinical and experimental studies performed in situations of iron overload have demonstrated that iron impairs several T-cell functions. We have examined the effect of iron in the form of ferric citrate on the CD4-lck and CD8-lck complexes in view of the key role played by the tyrosine kinase p56lck in regulating T-cell functions. Ferric citrate was seen to differentially modulate the CD4-lck and CD8-lck complexes in resting peripheral blood T-lymphocytes (PBLs) cultured in the presence of this metal salt for periods of 20 to 24 hr. Thus, whereas ferric citrate invariably induced a marked decrease in the in vitro activity of the CD4-associated lck by three- to fourfold at 100 microM (P < 3 x 10(-5)), it did not affect significantly the in vitro activity of the CD8-associated lck, although modest decreases were observed in some experiments. Immunoprecipitation and subsequent lck-immunoblotting revealed that the marked decrease in CD4-lck activity induced by 100 microM of ferric citrate was due to a decrease in the amount of p56lck on CD4 immunoprecipitates. Furthermore, flow cytometry analysis showed a decrease in the surface expression of the CD4 molecule in iron-treated PBLs, as judged by a decrease in the mean fluorescence intensity (MFI), that was accompanied by a decrease in the percentage of CD4+ T-lymphocytes. In marked contrast, whereas the surface expression of the CD8 molecule was slightly decreased, the percentage of CD8+ T-lymphocytes remained constant. This differential effect of ferric citrate on the CD4+ and CD8+ T-cell subsets led to a marked decrease in the CD4/CD8 ratios in iron-treated PBLs after the 20- to 24-hr period (P < 0.001). The present results indicate that iron in the form of ferric citrate can modulate key molecules involved in the process of T-cell activation and therefore influence T-cell-mediated functions.
authors.affiliation: Abel Salazar Institute for the Biomedical Sciences, Porto, Portugal.
authors.forename: F A
authors.initials: FA
authors.lastname: Arosa
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Sousa
mesh_terms: D015704:CD4 Antigens / Q000378:metabolism*; D016516:CD4-CD8 Ratio; D016827:CD8 Antigens / Q000378:metabolism*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005290:Ferric Compounds / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D019860:Lymphocyte Specific Protein Tyrosine Kinase p56(lck); D011233:Precipitin Tests; D011485:Protein Binding / Q000187:drug effects; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology
chemical_list: D015704:CD4 Antigens; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D005290:Ferric Compounds; C025314:ferric citrate; D011505:Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D019860:Lymphocyte Specific Protein Tyrosine Kinase p56(lck)