Aim: To explore the effects of deoxynivalenol (DON) on transporter associated with antigen processing-1 (TAP-1) expression in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs).
Methods: Effects of various concentrations of DON on TAP-1 expression of in vitro cultured human PBMCs and the dose-effect relationship were analyzed by flow cytometry (FCM) and semi-quantitative RT-PCR at the protein and mRNA levels.
Results: FCM analysis indicated that treatment with various concentrations of DON could inhibit TAP-1 expressions in PBMCs, showing a negative correlation between DON concentration and TAP-1 expression. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR detection indicated that high concentrations of DON (1,000 and 2,000 microg/L) could distinctly inhibit TAP-1 mRNA expression.
Conclusion: DON can down-regulate TAP-1 expression in human PBMCs in a dose-dependent manner in vitro, which suggests DON may interfere with host immunosurveillance, and this may account for the correlation between DON-contaminated grain and esophagus cancer in high risk area.