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Interactions between airway epithelial cells and dendritic cells during viral infections using an in vitro co-culture model
Citation:
Horvath, K., L. BRIGHTON, AND I. JASPERS. Interactions between airway epithelial cells and dendritic cells during viral infections using an in vitro co-culture model. Presented at American Thoracic Society Meeting, Toronto, ON, CANADA, May 16 - 28, 2008.
Impact/Purpose:
research results
Description:
Rationale: Historically, single cell culture models have been limited in pathological and physiological relevance. A co-culture model of dendritic cells (DCs) and differentiated human airway epithelial cells was developed to examine potential interactions between these two cell types in the setting of respiratory viral infection. Methods: Human DCs were derived by culturing peripheral blood monocytes in the presence ofIL-4 and GM-CSF, resulting in positive staining for DC markers HLA-DR, CD 11 c, CD40, CD80, CD86, and CD209 and negative staining for monocyte marker CD14. DCs were applied to the basolateral side of differentiated human airway epithelial cells grown on membrane support. Differentiated epithelial cells alone or co-cultured with DCs were apically infected with influenza A virus, and both cell types were analyzed 24 hr post infection. Results: Immunohistochemistry using anti-CDllc and anti-acetylated-alpha-tubulin, which stains cilia, revealed adherent DCs on the basolateral side of epithelial cells. As expected, the majority of virus was found in epithelial cells and not DCs. Virus-induced expression ofIL-6 or IP-I0 was unaffected by the presence ofDCs. However, co-culture with DCs appeared to modulate the expression of RANTES and TLR3 in epithelial cells independent of viral infection. In addition, viral challenge produced increased levels of DC activation markers such as CD40, CD80, and CD209 and increased TLR7 mRNA levels, suggesting that influenza infection causes a shift to a more mature DC phenotype. Conclusions: These data indicate that baseline as well as virus-induced expression of cytokines, TLR's, and DC activation markers is significantly modulated by the interaction between epithelial cells and DCs.