Increased serum levels of soluble ST2 in birch pollen atopics and individuals working in laboratory animal facilities.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate toll-like receptors and CD14 expression on blood cells, cytokine profile of blood T-helper cells and serum levels of soluble suppression of tumorigenicity 2 (sST2) and sCD14 in 27 symptomatic laboratory animal (LA) workers with positive (n = 19) or negative (n = 8) skin-prick test to LA, 12 birch pollen atopics and 11 non-atopic controls not exposed to LA.


METHODS
Surface markers and intracellular cytokines were measured with flow cytometry and sST2 and sCD14 with ELISA.


RESULTS
The group who experienced symptoms when working with LA, with positive and negative skin-prick test to LA, had higher CD14 expression on monocytes compared with those allergic to birch and controls. Further, serum sST2 were elevated in birch atopics and in symptomatics non-allergic to LA compared with controls.


CONCLUSIONS
Increased CD14 expression found in LA workers is most likely a response to non-allergic agent exposure whereas ST2 seems to react to acute allergen exposure and to non-allergic stimuli as pathogen-associated molecular patterns.
Lung and Allergy Research, National Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. karin.sahlander@ki.se
Karin
K
Sahlander
Kjell
K
Larsson
Lena
L
Palmberg
D000328:Adult; D017750:Animal Technicians; D000818:Animals; D000830:Animals, Laboratory / Q000276:immunology; D029662:Betula / Q000276:immunology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000097:blood; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006799:Housing, Animal; D006801:Humans; D006969:Hypersensitivity, Immediate / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D018950:Lipopolysaccharide Receptors / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008875:Middle Aged; D009000:Monocytes / Q000276:immunology; D009504:Neutrophils / Q000276:immunology; D016273:Occupational Exposure; D011058:Pollen / Q000276:immunology*; D051381:Rats; D012882:Skin Tests; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors / Q000097:blood; D055815:Young Adult; D051746:ZAP-70 Protein-Tyrosine Kinase / Q000097:blood*
D016207:Cytokines; D018950:Lipopolysaccharide Receptors; D051193:Toll-Like Receptors; D051746:ZAP-70 Protein-Tyrosine Kinase; C497261:ZAP70 protein, human