title: Suppression of IL-6 level in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells stimulated with PHA/LPS after occupational exposure to chromium.
abstract: The toxic metals alter the immune response of animals as well as humans. In addition to the well documented and numerous toxic effect of chromium on various target organs, number of studies shown that acute and chronic exposure to inorganic chromium may result in impairment of immune functions in the experimental systems. Immunosuppression appears to be more subtle effect of exposure to heavy metals. Therefore, we have taken two different groups of chromium exposed individuals. These were leather tanning workers and chromeplaters. These groups of individuals were regularly exposed to chromium. All the leather tanning workers were highly exposed to chromium having a mean of 96.60+/-113.95 mg/dl (range 12.4-417.21 mg/dl). A suspension of exposed and unexposed human PBMC (0.5x10(6) cells/ml) prepared and cultured in RPMI-1640 supplemented with 10% FCS for 18 h in the presence or absence of PHA (5 microg/ml) and LPS (10 ng/ml) which used for stimulation of IL-2, IL-4, TNF-alpha, IL-10 and IL-6, respectively. The levels of Th1/Th2 cytokine: IL-2, IL-4, TNF-alpha, IL-10 and IL-6 were evaluated in the sera and PHA/LPS stimulated culture supernatant of human PBMCs of chromium exposed workers. In these workers the level of IL-6 was 543.95+/-123.75 pg/ml and 388.40+/-61.24 pg/ml in PHA/LPS stimulated culture supernatant of normal individuals and highly chromium exposed workers, which was significant (P<0.05). This observation suggests that IL-6 levels were suppressed in chromium exposed groups as compared to unexposed healthy volunteers. Although the level of IL-2 in PHA stimulated culture supernatant of PBMCs was suppressed in chromium exposed individuals but it was not significant, IL-4 and IL-10 could not be detected. However, there was no difference in TNF-alpha levels in sera samples as well as unstimulated culture supernatant of h-PBMCs of chromium exposed individuals as compared to control.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, C S J M University, Kanpur, U.P., 208024 India. shashwatkatiyar0801@rediffmail.com
authors.forename: Shashwat
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Katiyar
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Awasthi
authors.forename: Ranjeev K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Sahu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002857:Chromium / Q000097:blood / Q000506:poisoning*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology*; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D008669:Metallurgy; D008875:Middle Aged; D016273:Occupational Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013633:Tanning; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D015850:Interleukin-6; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D002857:Chromium