CD32 expression and signaling is down-regulated by transforming growth factor-beta 1 on human monocytes

Delayed neonatal lung macrophage differentiation in a mouse model of in utero ethanol exposure

We have previously demonstrated that fetal ethanol exposure deranges the function and viability of the neonatal alveolar macrophage. Although altered differentiation of the alveolar macrophage contributes to pulmonary disease states within the adult lung, the effects of fetal ethanol exposure on the normal differentiation of interstitial to alveolar macrophage in the newborn lung are unknown. In the current study, using a mouse model of fetal ethanol exposure, we hypothesized that altered terminal differentiation of the neonatal interstitial to alveolar macrophage contributes to the observed cellular dysfunction in the ethanol-exposed newborn mouse. Control alveolar macrophage differentiation was characterized by increased expression of CD32/CD11b (P < or = 0.05) and increased in vitro phagocytosis of Staphylococcus aureus (P < or = 0.05) compared with interstitial macrophage. After in utero ethanol exposure, both alveolar and interstitial macrophage lacked the acquisition of CD32/CD11b (P < or = 0.05) and displayed impaired in vitro phagocytosis (P < or = 0.05). Ethanol significantly increased transforming growth factor-beta(1) (TGF-beta(1)) in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (P < or = 0.05), as well as in both interstitial and alveolar macrophages (P < or = 0.05). Oxidant stress contributed to the ethanol-induced changes on the interstitial and alveolar cells, since maternal supplementation with the glutathione precursor S-adenosylmethionine during ethanol ingestion normalized CD32/CD11b (P < or = 0.05), phagocytosis (P < or = 0.05), and TGF-beta(1) in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and macrophages (P < or = 0.05). Contrary to our hypothesis, fetal ethanol exposure did not solely impair interstitial to alveolar macrophage differentiation. Rather, fetal ethanol exposure impaired both neonatal interstitial and alveolar macrophage phagocytic function and differentiation. Increased oxidant stress and elevated TGF-beta(1) contributed to the impaired differentiation of both interstitial and alveolar macrophage.

Defective Antitumor Function of Monocyte-Derived Macrophages from Epithelial Ovarian Cancer Patients

PURPOSE

Monocytes/macrophages (MO/MA) are an important but heterogeneous population of immune inflammatory cells that have diverse effector functions. We examined and compared these differences in peripheral blood and ascites of epithelial ovarian cancer patients with peripheral blood of normal donors.

EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN

Comparisons were made of cell surface subsets, cytokine production, and FcR-dependent cytotoxicity of CD14+ MO/MA and the CD14brightCD16-HLA-DR+ MO/MA subset in normal donor peripheral blood and peripheral blood and ascites from epithelial ovarian cancer patients. Studies were done on monocyte-derived macrophages cultured with macrophage colony-stimulating factor and activated with lipopolysaccharide or a combination of lipopolysaccharide plus recombinant IFN-gamma.

RESULTS

We determined that MO/MA or its subset from epithelial ovarian cancer patients had altered morphology and significantly less antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity and phagocytic activity than did MO/MA from normal donors. Our findings also showed that monocyte-derived macrophages from both epithelial ovarian cancer patients and normal donors produce macrophage colony-stimulating factor-stimulated cytokines, including interleukin-8, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and interleukin-6.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings highlight for the first time the defective antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity and phagocyte functions of epithelial ovarian cancer-associated MO/MA, which could have implications for immunobiotherapeutic strategies.

Transforming growth factor-beta 1 regulates chemokine and complement production by human proximal tubular epithelial cells

Previously it has been demonstrated that human proximal tubular epithelial cells (PTEC) are able to produce chemokines (such as IL-8 and MCP-1) and complement components (such as C2, C3, C4 and factor H), and that production of these proteins is regulated by pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1alpha), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma). Since TGF-beta is also expressed in the renal interstitium during inflammation, we investigated the effect of TGF-beta on the production of chemokines and complement components by PTEC in culture. Transforming growth factor-beta 1 up-regulated IL-8 production by an average of 4.17 +/- 1.0 fold. macrophage chemoattractant phagocyte (MCP-1) production, on the other hand, was down-regulated by TGF-beta 1 by an average of 2.2 +/- 0.7 fold. The production of C3 and C4 was also down-regulated after incubation with TGF-beta 1 (1.9 +/- 0.3- and 3.0 +/- 1.2-fold, respectively). All effects were dose- and time-dependent and were found to be specific for TGF-beta 1, as assessed by inhibition of the effect with a neutralizing antibody against TGF-beta 1. These data, together with the knowledge that TGF-beta, chemokines and complement components play a role in several types of renal disease, suggest that TGF-beta is involved in the regulation of local expression of chemokines and complement components by tubular cells.