Expression of heat shock protein 72 by alveolar macrophages in hypersensitivity pneumonitis

Abstract

The current study was done to look at a possible role of heat shock proteins (HSPs) in hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP). The specific aims were to determine whether there was a difference in the expression of HSP72 in alveolar macrophages (AMs) between mice challenged with HP antigen and saline-treated control mice and between AMs obtained by bronchoalveolar lavage from 18 patients with HP and 11 normal subjects. The expression of HSP72 was studied under basal conditions and under a mild heat shock. HSP72 expression by AMs in response to in vitro stimulation with Saccharopolyspora rectivirgula was lower in AMs of control mice than in those of HP animals. HSP72 was constitutively expressed in AMs of both normal and HP subjects. Densitometric ratios showed that AMs from normal subjects responded to heat shock with a 39°C-to-37°C ratio of 1.72 ± 0.18 (mean ± SE), and AMs from HP patients responded with a ratio of 1.16 ± 0.16 ( P = 0.0377). This decreased induction by additional stress of AMs could lead to an altered immunoregulatory activity and account for the inflammation seen in HP.

Extracellular Heat Shock Proteins as Therapeutic Targets and Biomarkers in Fibrosing Interstitial Lung Diseases

“…Racine et al showed that alveolar macrophages (AMs) from challenged mice with antigens from Saccharopolyspora rectivirgula (SR) exhibited increased basal level of HSP70 compared to control mice. However, a second stimulation with SR-antigen on these AMs, did not further enhance HSP70 levels in sensitized mice compared to control mice, which showed much higher HSP70 levels [60]. The absence of HSP70 response to an additional stress in HP mice could be explained by the altered immunoregulatory activity observed during HP.…”