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Luft P, Oostingh GJ, Gruijthuijsen Y, Horejs-Hoeck J, Lehmann I, Duschl A.
Patulin influences the expression of Th1/Th2 cytokines by activated
peripheral blood mononuclear cells and T cells through depletion of
intracellular glutathione.
Environ Toxicol. 2008 Feb;23(1):84-95.
Department of Molecular Biology, University of Salzburg, Austria.
Patulin is a mold toxin secreted mainly by fungi of the Penicillium species.
Exposure generally results from consumption of moldy fruits and fruit products.
Since recent studies identified mold exposure as a risk factor for allergic
diseases, we examined the effects of patulin on human peripheral blood
mononuclear cells (PBMC) prepared from buffy coats of healthy donors. Cells were
stimulated with CD3- and CD28-specific antibodies in the presence or absence of
patulin. Effects of patulin on PBMCs were evaluated by proliferation, viability
assays, and cytokine ELISAs. The presence of 50 ng/mL patulin strongly decreased
the amounts of several cytokines in the supernatant of stimulated PBMCs. This
decrease in cytokine secretion was not due to cytotoxic effects of patulin.
Moreover, the extent of the reduction of cytokine amounts was cytokine specific,
affecting some (IL-4, IL-13, IFNgamma, and IL-10), but not others (IL-8, IL-5).
We show that all effects could be abolished by adding thiol containing
compounds. A depletion of intracellular GSH could be measured after incubation
of cells with patulin. Taken together, our data indicate that patulin modulates
the functional activation of PBMCs with respect to proliferation and cytokine
secretion patterns by depletion of intracellular GSH. The depletion of
intracellular glutathione may influence the balance between Th1 and Th2 cells
and have implications for allergic diseases.
PMID: 18214930
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