Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Clinical and Experimental Immunology logoLink to Clinical and Experimental Immunology
. 1988 Dec;74(3):465–470.

Immunomodulatory effects of pulmonary surfactant on natural killer cell and antibody-dependent cytotoxicity.

M L Wilsher 1, D A Hughes 1, P L Haslam 1
PMCID: PMC1542016  PMID: 3069255

Abstract

Alveolar natural killer (NK) cells are functionally weak compared to their blood and interstitial counterparts. Having previously demonstrated that pulmonary surfactant suppresses lymphocyte responses to a variety of stimuli we sought in this study to determine if surfactant exerts a similar suppressive effect on cytotoxic function. Lipids were purified from the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid from normal human volunteers. Human peripheral blood lymphocytes (n = 10 subjects) were cultured overnight in the presence or absence of purified BAL lipids (0.2 mg/ml), or pure preparations of phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), and phosphatidylglycerol (PG) (0.4 mg/ml). Standard NK and antibody-dependent cytotoxicity (ADCC) assays were performed using K562 and Chang target cells. The pooled BAL lipids significantly suppressed both NK (P less than 0.01) and ADCC (P = 0.01) activity in a dose-dependent manner. Whereas pure PC did not exert a significant effect, PG significantly suppressed (P less than 0.01) and PE significantly enhanced (P less than 0.01) both cytotoxic functions. There was no change in the expression of leu 7 or 11b antigens by lymphocytes after culture in BAL lipids. These results suggest that under normal circumstances pulmonary surfactant may suppress alveolar cytotoxic responses but that imbalances in the phospholipid profile might affect this immunoregulatory property.

Full text

PDF
465

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. ATKINS E. L., PEARCE J. W. Mechanisms of the renal response to plasma volume expansion. Can J Biochem Physiol. 1959 Jan;37(1):91–102. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Ansfield M. J., Benson B. J. Identification of the immunosuppressive components of canine pulmonary surface active material. J Immunol. 1980 Sep;125(3):1093–1098. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Ansfield M. J., Kaltreider H. B., Benson B. J., Caldwell J. L. Immunosuppressive activity of canine pulmonary surface active material. J Immunol. 1979 Mar;122(3):1062–1066. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Bordignon C., Villa F., Vecchi A., Giavazzi R., Introna M., Avallone R., Mantovani A. Natural cytotoxic activity in human lungs. Clin Exp Immunol. 1982 Feb;47(2):437–444. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Dhillon D. P., Haslam P. L., Townsend P. J., Primett Z., Collins J. V., Turner-Warwick M. Bronchoalveolar lavage in patients with interstitial lung diseases: side effects and factors affecting fluid recovery. Eur J Respir Dis. 1986 May;68(5):342–350. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Ettensohn D. B., Roberts N. J., Jr Human alveolar macrophage support of lymphocyte responses to mitogens and antigens. Analysis and comparison with autologous peripheral-blood-derived monocytes and macrophages. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1983 Sep;128(3):516–522. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1983.128.3.516. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Gilfillan A. M., Chu A. J., Smart D. A., Rooney S. A. Single plate separation of lung phospholipids including disaturated phosphatidylcholine. J Lipid Res. 1983 Dec;24(12):1651–1656. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Ginns L. C., Ryu J. H., Rogol P. R., Sprince N. L., Oliver L. C., Larsson C. J. Natural killer cell activity in cigarette smokers and asbestos workers. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1985 Jun;131(6):831–834. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1985.131.6.831. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Herberman R. B. Natural killer cells. Annu Rev Med. 1986;37:347–352. doi: 10.1146/annurev.me.37.020186.002023. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Hirata F., Axelrod J. Phospholipid methylation and biological signal transmission. Science. 1980 Sep 5;209(4461):1082–1090. doi: 10.1126/science.6157192. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Hughes D. A., Haslam P. L., Townsend P. J., Turner-Warwick M. Numerical and functional alterations in circulatory lymphocytes in cigarette smokers. Clin Exp Immunol. 1985 Aug;61(2):459–466. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Kay H. D., Bonnard G. D., West W. H., Herberman R. B. A functional comparison of human Fc-receptor-bearing lymphocytes active in natural cytotoxicity and antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity. J Immunol. 1977 Jun;118(6):2058–2066. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Kiyohara T., Dennis J. W., Boegman R. J., Roder J. C. An exoglycosidase-sensitive triggering site on NK cells which is coupled to transmethylation of membrane phospholipids. J Immunol. 1985 Jul;135(1):659–664. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Low R. B., Davis G. S., Giancola M. S. Biochemical analyses of bronchoalveolar lavage fluids of healthy human volunteer smokers and nonsmokers. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1978 Nov;118(5):863–875. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1978.118.5.863. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Morley C. J., Banhham A. D., Johnson P., Thorburn G. D., Jenkin G. Physical and physiological properties of dry lung surfactant. Nature. 1978 Jan 12;271(5641):162–163. doi: 10.1038/271162a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Rivnay B., Globerson A., Shinitzky M. Peturbation of lymphocyte response to concanavalin A by exogenous cholesterol and lecithin. Eur J Immunol. 1978 Mar;8(3):185–189. doi: 10.1002/eji.1830080309. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Robinson B. W., Pinkston P., Crystal R. G. Natural killer cells are present in the normal human lung but are functionally impotent. J Clin Invest. 1984 Sep;74(3):942–950. doi: 10.1172/JCI111513. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Robinson P. C., Voelker D. R., Mason R. J. Isolation and culture of human alveolar type II epithelial cells. Characterization of their phospholipid secretion. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1984 Dec;130(6):1156–1160. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1984.130.6.1156. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Robinson P. C., Watters L. C., King T. E., Mason R. J. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Abnormalities in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid phospholipids. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1988 Mar;137(3):585–591. doi: 10.1164/ajrccm/137.3.585. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Roozemond R. C., Bonavida B. Effect of altered membrane fluidity on NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity. I. Selective inhibition of the recognition or post recognition events in the cytolytic pathway of NK cells. J Immunol. 1985 Apr;134(4):2209–2214. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Roozemond R. C., Mevissen M., Urli D. C., Bonavida B. Effect of altered membrane structure on NK cell-mediated cytotoxicity. III. Decreased susceptibility to natural killer cytotoxic factor (NKCF) and suppression of NKCF release by membrane rigidification. J Immunol. 1987 Sep 1;139(5):1739–1746. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Rouser G., Fkeischer S., Yamamoto A. Two dimensional then layer chromatographic separation of polar lipids and determination of phospholipids by phosphorus analysis of spots. Lipids. 1970 May;5(5):494–496. doi: 10.1007/BF02531316. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Taeusch H. W., Keough K. M., Williams M., Slavin R., Steele E., Lee A. S., Phelps D., Kariel N., Floros J., Avery M. E. Characterization of bovine surfactant for infants with respiratory distress syndrome. Pediatrics. 1986 Apr;77(4):572–581. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Toews G. B., Vial W. C., Dunn M. M., Guzzetta P., Nunez G., Stastny P., Lipscomb M. F. The accessory cell function of human alveolar macrophages in specific T cell proliferation. J Immunol. 1984 Jan;132(1):181–186. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Trinchieri G., Perussia B. Human natural killer cells: biologic and pathologic aspects. Lab Invest. 1984 May;50(5):489–513. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Weissler J. C., Nicod L. P., Lipscomb M. F., Toews G. B. Natural killer cell function in human lung is compartmentalized. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1987 Apr;135(4):941–949. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1987.135.4.941. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Weissler J. C., Nicod L. P., Toews G. B. Pulmonary natural killer cell activity is reduced in patients with bronchogenic carcinoma. Am Rev Respir Dis. 1987 Jun;135(6):1353–1357. doi: 10.1164/arrd.1987.135.6.1353. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Wilsher M. L., Hughes D. A., Haslam P. L. Immunoregulatory properties of pulmonary surfactant: effect of lung lining fluid on proliferation of human blood lymphocytes. Thorax. 1988 May;43(5):354–359. doi: 10.1136/thx.43.5.354. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Wilsher M. L., Hughes D. A., Haslam P. L. Immunoregulatory properties of pulmonary surfactant: influence of variations in the phospholipid profile. Clin Exp Immunol. 1988 Jul;73(1):117–122. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Clinical and Experimental Immunology are provided here courtesy of British Society for Immunology

RESOURCES