Expression of immunomodulatory genes in human monocytes induced by voriconazole in the presence of Aspergillus fumigatus

Antimicrob Agents Chemother. 2007 Mar;51(3):1048-54. doi: 10.1128/AAC.01095-06. Epub 2006 Dec 18.

Abstract

We assessed the effect of voriconazole (VRC) on the expression and release of selected cytokines and chemokines in the THP-1 human monocytic cell line in response to Aspergillus fumigatus hyphal fragments (HF) by cDNA microarray analysis, reverse transcriptase (RT) PCR, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Stimulation of THP-1 cells by HF alone caused a significant up-regulation of CCL4 (MIP1B) and CCL16, while CCL2 (MCP1) was down-regulated. By comparison, in the presence of VRC, a large number of genes such as CCL3 (MIP1A), CCL4 (MIP1B), CCL5 (RANTES), CCL7 (MCP3), CCL11 (EOTAXIN), CCL15 (MIP1Delta), CXCL6, and CXCL13 were strongly up-regulated in THP-1 cells challenged by HF, whereas CCL20 (MIP3A) and CCL21 (MIP2) were down-regulated. Among five genes differentially expressed in THP-1 cells, IL12A, IL12B, and IL-16 were down-regulated whereas IL-11 and TGFB1 were significantly up-regulated in the presence of VRC. The inflammation-related genes IFNgamma, IL1R1, and TNFA were also up-regulated in THP-1 cells exposed to HF only in the presence of VRC. RT-PCR of four selected genes validated the results of microarrays. The release of interleukin 1beta (IL-1beta) and IL-12 was significantly increased from monocytes stimulated either by HF alone (P < 0.05) or in the presence of VRC (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05, respectively). In contrast, tumor necrosis factor alpha release from monocytes was enhanced only in the presence of VRC (P < 0.01). The chemokines monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 and macrophage inflammatory protein 1beta were decreased under both conditions (P < 0.01). These results demonstrate that in the presence of VRC, HF induces a more pronounced profile of gene expression in THP-1 cells than HF alone, potentially leading to more-efficient host resistance to A. fumigatus.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antifungal Agents / pharmacology*
  • Aspergillus fumigatus / immunology*
  • Cells, Cultured
  • Chemokine CCL2 / biosynthesis
  • Chemokine CCL3
  • Chemokine CCL4
  • DNA, Complementary / biosynthesis
  • DNA, Complementary / genetics
  • Gene Expression Regulation / drug effects*
  • Humans
  • Hyphae / immunology
  • Immunity, Innate / drug effects*
  • Immunity, Innate / genetics*
  • Interleukin-10 / biosynthesis
  • Interleukin-12 / biosynthesis
  • Interleukin-1beta / biosynthesis
  • Macrophage Inflammatory Proteins / biosynthesis
  • Monocytes / drug effects
  • Monocytes / immunology*
  • Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis
  • Pyrimidines / pharmacology*
  • RNA / biosynthesis
  • RNA / genetics
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Triazoles / pharmacology*
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / biosynthesis
  • Voriconazole

Substances

  • Antifungal Agents
  • CCL2 protein, human
  • Chemokine CCL2
  • Chemokine CCL3
  • Chemokine CCL4
  • DNA, Complementary
  • Interleukin-1beta
  • Macrophage Inflammatory Proteins
  • Pyrimidines
  • Triazoles
  • Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
  • Interleukin-10
  • Interleukin-12
  • RNA
  • Voriconazole