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Effect of prolactin on the antigen presenting function of monocyte-derived dendritic cellsDepartment of Internal Medicine, University of Turin, Corso A.M. Dogliotti 14, 10126 Italy lina.matera{at}unito.it
Department of Internal Medicine, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
Department of Oncology, Unity of Oncological Surgery, University of Turin, Turin, Italy Monocyte derived macrophages (Mf) and dendritic cells (DC) play critical roles at the interface between innate and adaptive immunity. Both types of cells can effectively phagocytose exogenous antigens, whereas only DC can process and present them efficiently to antigen-specific T lymphocytes. The hormone PRL is also produced by immune cells and is regarded as a key component of the neuroendocrineimmune loop and a local regulator of lymphocyte response. Its main feature is cooperation with cytokines and hemopoietins. Triggering of monocyte PRL receptors with physiological-to-supraphysiological concentrations of PRL up-regulates the GMCSF receptors, resulting in synergistic PRL-GM-CSF induced maturation of immature (i)DC. Further incubation induces increased antigen-presenting activity at the highest PRL concentrations studied (200 ng/ml). IFN-g release by allogeneic lymphocytes is dependent on T cell-triggered IL-12 release by PRL-preincubated iDC. This, in turn, may be secondary to increased DC expression of CD40 or IFN-g. The permissive action of high PRL concentrations in the antigen presenting process may be of significance in initiation of the response against major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-presented self-antigens and may explain the association of hyperprolactinemia with autoimmune diseases.
Key Words: dendritic cells monocytes prolactin interferon-g-autoimmunity
Lupus, Vol. 10, No. 10,
728-734 (2001) This article has been cited by other articles:
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