title: Epithelial to mesenchymal transition of mesothelial cells in tuberculous pleurisy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Tuberculous pleurisy is the most frequent extrapulmonary manifestation of tuberculosis. In spite of adequate treatment, pleural fibrosis is a common complication, but the mechanism has not been elucidated. This study is to determine whether epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) of mesothelial cells occurs in tuberculous pleurisy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Normal pleural mesothelial cells, isolated from irrigation fluids during operations for primary spontaneous pneumothorax, were characterized by immunofluorescence and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). These cells were treated in vitro with various cytokines, which were produced in the effluents of tuberculous pleurisy. The isolated cells from the effluents of tuberculous pleurisy were analyzed by immunofluorescence and RT-PCR analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The isolated cells from the irrigation fluid of primary spontaneous pneumothorax had epithelial characteristics. These cells, with transforming growth factor-β1 and/or interleukin-1β treatment, underwent phenotypic transition from epithelial to mesenchymal cells, with the loss of epithelial morphology and reduction in cytokeratin and E-cadherin expression. Effluent analysis from tuberculous pleurisy using immunofluorescence and RT-PCR demonstrated two phenotypes that showed mesenchymal characteristics and both epithelial & mesencymal characteristics.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that pleural mesothelial cells in tuberculous pleurisy have been implicated in pleural fibrosis through EMT.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Hallym University College of Medicine, Chuncheon, Korea.
authors.forename: Changhwan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Dong-Gyu
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sung-Hoon
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Yong Il
authors.initials: YI
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Seung Hun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.forename: Cheol Hong
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Ki-Suck
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Kwangseon
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Min
authors.forename: Jae Woong
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Young Sook
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Jang
mesh_terms: D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000473:pathology*; D058750:Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition / Q000502:physiology*; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D010994:Pleura / Q000473:pathology*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014396:Tuberculosis, Pleural / Q000473:pathology*