[Anti-aspergillus Th immunity induced by dendritic cells and the effect of hydrocortisone on it].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the role of dendritic cells (DCs) in host defense against aspergillus, and how corticosteroids hydrocortisone (HC) affects host anti-aspergillus immunity at the DCs level.


METHODS
Mouse bone marrow-derived DCs were generated ex vivo and the uptake of inactivated Aspergillus fumigatus conidia (iAfc) by DCs was assayed using McFarland standard. Cytokine production by DCs or by splenic T cells were measured using ELISA method.


RESULTS
DCs were capable of ingesting iAfc efficiently. HC significantly inhibited the capacity of DCs to phagocytose iAfc. After stimulated with iAfc in vitro, DCs secreted IL-12 and IFN-gamma, but did not secret IL-10. 10(-5) mol/L HC down-regulated IL-12 and IFN-gamma production by DCs, but it didn't affect IL-10 production. After the mice were inoculated with iAfc-pulsed DCs, their splenic T cells secreted IFN-gamma upon the re-stimulation with iAfc in vitro. In contrast, after the mice were inoculated with iAfc-HC-pulsed DCs, the splenic T cells showed significantly decreased IFN-gamma secretion upon the same stimulation, but the secretion of IL-10 was increased.


CONCLUSIONS
DCs might act as effector cells in host defense against aspergillus, and initiate anti-aspergillus Th1 type immunity. HC inhibited the above functions of DCs and skew the immunity response towards Th2 type. iAfc-pulsed DCs might be useful for promoting the anti-aspergillus immunity of immunocompromised host.
Zhou
Hai-jun
HJ
Department of Respirology, Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
Qu
Jie-ming
JM
Qiu
Shuang-jian
SJ
Ye
Sheng-long
SL
He
Li-xian
LX
D000818:Animals; D001232:Aspergillus fumigatus / Q000276:immunology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000378:metabolism; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000378:metabolism; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology*
D016753:Interleukin-10; D018664:Interleukin-12; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D006854:Hydrocortisone