Infection with respiratory syncytial virus and water-soluble components of cigarette smoke alter production of tumour necrosis factor alpha and nitric oxide by human blood monocytes.
Cigarette smoke and virus infections contribute to the pathogenesis and exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of a water-soluble cigarette smoke extract (CSE) and/or respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infection on release from monocytes of the blood from donors of tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and nitric oxide (NO). Both RSV infection and CSE stimulated TNF-alpha release from monocytes and there was an additive effect if both the agents were present. There was a decrease in NO release, but the effect was significant only with CSE or a combination of CSE and RSV infection. Interferon gamma significantly increased TNF-alpha release and cotinine significantly increased NO release. Nicotine decreased both TNF-alpha and NO responses. The general pattern observed for individual donors was increased TNF-alpha and decreased NO. The proportion of extreme responses with very high TNF-alpha and very low NO in the presence of both RSV and CSE increased to 20% compared with 5% observed with CSE or RSV alone. The results show that RSV infection and components of cigarette smoke elicit inflammatory responses that could contribute to damage to the respiratory tract and these individual factors could be more harmful in combination.
Raza
M W
MW
Department of Medical Microbiology, Edinburgh University, UK.
Essery
S D
SD
Weir
D M
DM
Ogilvie
M M
MM
Elton
R A
RA
Blackwell
C C
CC
D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D009000:Monocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000821:virology; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000378:metabolism*; D010947:Plants, Toxic; D018113:Respiratory Syncytial Virus, Human / Q000502:physiology*; D012906:Smoke; D014026:Nicotiana; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism*; D014867:Water
D012906:Smoke; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D014867:Water; D009569:Nitric Oxide