title: In vitro cytopathic effects of mycotoxin T-2 on human peripheral blood T lymphocytes.
abstract: The trichothecene mycotoxin T-2 is reported to exhibit immunotoxic activity. The potential presence of T-2 in foods renders it as public health hazard and its toxicity needs to be better understood. We investigated the in vitro effects of T-2 at sub-toxic (0.1 ng/ml) and toxic (10 ng/ml) levels on freshly isolated human peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs). We observed no direct influence on untreated PBLs. The toxic dose of T-2, however, totally inhibited phytohemagglutinin-induced T lymphocyte proliferation and caused early apoptosis that peaked after 8h of exposure. Both major T lymphocyte subsets (CD4+ and CD8+) were affected as they appeared to show a positive response to T-2 at 8h followed by their sharp reduction after 96 h. Further investigation on the naïve (CD45RA+) and memory (CD45RO+) subpopulations confirmed these observations and indicated that T-2 affected equally all the subpopulations studied, although PHA preferentially stimulated CD45RO+ T lymphocytes. Sub-toxic T-2 appeared to exhibit co stimulatory properties to PHA-stimulated cells. These results support the hypothesis that T-2 affects the activation-induced cell death mechanism of T lymphocytes.
authors: Department of Applied Biochemistry and Immunology, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Vassilika Vouton, 711 10 Heraklion, Crete, Greece.
authors: Zaharenia
authors: Z
authors: Vlata
authors: Filippos
authors: F
authors: Porichis
authors: George
authors: G
authors: Tzanakakis
authors: Aristidis
authors: A
authors: Tsatsakis
authors: Elias
authors: E
authors: Krambovitis
mesh_terms: D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D004306:Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D009336:Necrosis; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins / Q000494:pharmacology; D013605:T-2 Toxin / Q000276:immunology / Q000633:toxicity*; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000187:drug effects; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; D013605:T-2 Toxin