title: Thymus-directed immunotoxicity of airborne dust particles from Upper Silesia (Poland) under acute extrapulmonary studies in mice.
abstract: Industrial air pollutants from Upper Silesia, Poland, contain over 250 polycyclic and heterocyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and heavy metals, including mutagenic and carcinogenic chemicals that have been shown to form DNA adducts. Over 4 million habitants of Silesia are permanently exposed to the industrial pollution by pulmonary and dermal routes and by contaminated food and water. These chemicals, when examined separately in animals models, were proven immunotoxic. We studied the extrapulmonary immunotoxic potential of a typical mixture of Silesian filter-suspended matter from a selected area, over a specific season and time period. Early changes in the immune system were analyzed in BALB/c mice exposed ip to acute doses of 20-330 mg dust mixture/kg body weight (0.06-1.0 LD50). No major changes were noted for weight and the cellularity of spleen, liver and kidneys. However, dramatic decrease in thymus weight index and thymocyte cell count were noted as early as 24-72 h postexposure, which correlated with almost complete depletion of immature, double-positive CD4+CD8+ thymocytes. Changes in spleen were less profound; however, increased depletion of B cells over T cells was noted at high doses of the suspended matter. Exposure to the airborne dust also decreased cytokine production by spleen cells, such as interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha). Overall, a single exposure to Silesian dust, even at the relatively low 0.06 LD50 dose, affected lymphokine production, suppressed B-cell proliferative response, and depleted thymuses of immature, double-positive CD4+CD8+ cells. A chemical synergism is suspected. To our knowledge, none of the known components of Silesian suspended matter, when examined as a single chemical, was shown to exert such a profound biological effect.
authors.affiliation: Department of Immunology, Warsaw University, Poland.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kozłowska
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Krzystyniak
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Drela
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Grabarczyk
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Izdebska-Szymona
mesh_terms: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000235:genetics; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018736:DNA Adducts; D004357:Drug Synergism; D004781:Environmental Exposure; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D006571:Heterocyclic Compounds / Q000633:toxicity; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D007668:Kidney / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D007928:Lethal Dose 50; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D018655:Lymphocyte Count; D008670:Metals / Q000633:toxicity; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D011044:Poland; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000633:toxicity; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000395:Air Pollutants, Occupational; D000954:Antigens, Surface; D018736:DNA Adducts; D006571:Heterocyclic Compounds; D008670:Metals; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D007371:Interferon-gamma