Interleukin 12, interleukin 18, and tumor necrosis factor alpha release by alveolar macrophages: acute and chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis.
BACKGROUND
Hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) is characterized by a granulomatous inflammation and may show various forms of clinical presentation, such as the acute, subacute, and chronic forms. The TH1-associated cytokines interleukin (IL) 12 and IL-18 and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) may be involved in the pathogenesis of both the acute and chronic forms of HP.


OBJECTIVE
To compare the release of IL-12, IL-18, and TNF-alpha from bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) macrophages in these 2 forms of HP.


METHODS
Patients underwent BAL 0 to 6 days after the last antigen exposure. Alveolar macrophages (AMs) from BAL in 6 patients with acute HP, 16 with chronic HP, and 11 controls were cultured for 24 hours. Cytokines in the culture supernatants were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.


RESULTS
The production of IL-12, IL-18, and TNF-alpha by AMs was increased in patients with both acute and chronic forms in either the absence or presence of lipopolysaccharide compared with controls. The levels of IL-12, IL-18, and TNF-alpha showed no difference between patients with acute and chronic HP. The spontaneous production of IL-12, IL-18, and TNF-alpha did not correlate with the CD4/CD8 ratio in BAL. The spontaneous and lipopolysaccharide-stimulated release of IL-12 showed a positive correlation with the percentage of lymphocytes (r = .470, P = .03; r = .496, P = .02; respectively) in BAL.


CONCLUSIONS
This study demonstrates that an increased release of IL-12, IL-18, and TNF-alpha by AMs is associated with both the acute and chronic forms of HP.
Ye
Qiao
Q
Department of Pneumology and Allergology, Ruhrlandklinik, Medical Faculty, University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany.
Nakamura
Shinobu
S
Sarria
Rafael
R
Costabel
Ulrich
U
Guzman
Josune
J
D000328:Adult; D000542:Alveolitis, Extrinsic Allergic / Q000276:immunology*; D018893:Bronchoalveolar Lavage; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid / Q000276:immunology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000276:immunology*; D020382:Interleukin-18 / Q000276:immunology*; D016676:Macrophages, Alveolar / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012015:Reference Standards; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000276:immunology*
D020382:Interleukin-18; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D018664:Interleukin-12