title: Cytokine secretion patterns of T cells responding to haptenized-human serum albumin in toluene diisocyanate (TDI)-induced asthma patients.
abstract: Our understanding immune response mechanisms to chemical allergens has been limited. It was partly due to the nature of antigens, recognized by T cells, not being well characterized. In the present study, we examined a hypothesis that a reactive chemical allergen, toluene diisocyanate (TDI), react with autologous proteins, thereby inducing T cell responses to the modified self protein in vivo. TDI-human serum albumin (HSA) conjugates were prepared and the presence of antigenic epitopes on the TDI-HSA conjugate was confirmed by IgE ELISA. We examined proliferative and cytokine production responses in TDI-induced asthma patients using the TDI-HSA conjugate as an antigen. Although proliferative responses of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were not detected, production of IFN-gamma was observed in both PBMC and T cell lines obtained from some newly-diagnosed patients by ELISA. Mitogen-inducible IL-4 production was also detected in some T cell lines. Results of this study may have two implications. One is that presentation of haptenized-self protein to the immune system may induce activation of T cells. The other is that T cells responding to this modified self protein may play a role in the pathogenesis of the chemical allergen-induced asthma by producing cytokines such as IFN-gamma and possibly IL-4.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea. millina@madang.ajou.ac.kr
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Youn
mesh_terms: D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology; D001249:Asthma / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000276:immunology*; D002455:Cell Division; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006241:Haptens / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism*; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000378:metabolism*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000276:immunology*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D014051:Toluene 2,4-Diisocyanate / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D006241:Haptens; D012709:Serum Albumin; D014051:Toluene 2,4-Diisocyanate; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma