title: [The autocrine-paracrine modulation of natural killer activity in man by peptides of the corticostatin-defensin family].
abstract: Corticostatins (CS)-defensins are a family of peptides recently isolated from neutrophils and cells of myeloid lineage. They have been termed CS in that members of the family inhibit ACTH-induced steroidogenesis, and defensins in that they are highly effective as enhancers of intracellular killing of pathogens. Natural killer (NK) cells are an immunocyte subset whose cytotoxic activity is modulated by lymphokines and hormones. Recent evidence suggests a myeloid origin for these cells. We evaluated whether two human CS-defensins, HP-1 and HP-4, are able to modulate in vitro spontaneous NK cell activity of human peripheral blood mononuclear (PBM) cells and in vitro susceptibility to the stimulatory effect by immune interferon (IFN-gamma) or interleukin 2 (IL-2) and to the inhibitory effect of cortisol. PBM cells were incubated for 20 h with HP-1 or HP-4 and IFN-gamma or IL-2 or cortisol. NK cell activity was measured in a 4-h direct cytotoxicity assay (K562 cells as a target). We also searched for CS-defensins in NK-enriched cell preparations by means of HPLC separation of the supernatant obtained from sonicated cells. HP-1 and HP-4 significantly inhibited both spontaneous and lymphokine-inducible NK cell activity, and potentiated cortisol-dependent inhibition. Radioimmunoassay on HPLC purified fractions demonstrated the presence of HP-1 in NK-enriched cell preparations. Our data indicate that HP-1 and HP-4 are negative modulators of NK cell cytotoxicity and that autocrine/paracrine mechanisms are conceivably involved. HP-1 production by NK cells may be viewed as additional support for the thesis of the myeloid origin of these immune effectors.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Cliniche e Biologiche, Università degli Studi di Torino.
authors.forename: R G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Masera
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gatti
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bateman
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Solomon
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Sartori
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Staurenghi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lazzero
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Griot
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Angeli
mesh_terms: D001798:Blood Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002469:Cell Separation; D003366:Cosyntropin / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D003601:Cytotoxicity Tests, Immunologic / Q000379:methods; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D023082:Defensins; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000494:pharmacology; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000494:pharmacology; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000276:immunology*; D010455:Peptides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D023084:alpha-Defensins
chemical_list: D001798:Blood Proteins; D023082:Defensins; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D008222:Lymphokines; D010455:Peptides; D023084:alpha-Defensins; C406413:human neutrophil peptide 1; C406428:human neutrophil peptide 4; C054598:corticostatin; D003366:Cosyntropin; D006854:Hydrocortisone
vernacular_title: Modulazione autocrino-paracrina dell'attività natural killer nell'uomo da parte di peptidi della famiglia delle corticostatine-defensine.