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Updated: Aug 11, 2026

Generation of Human Nasal Epithelial Cell Spheroids for Individualized Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator Study
Published on: April 11, 2018
Dysregulated interleukin-8 secretion and NF-kappaB activity in human cystic fibrosis nasal epithelial cells
Salvatore Carrabino1, Daniela Carpani, Alessandra Livraghi
1Institute for Experimental Treatment of Cystic Fibrosis, H.S. Raffaele, Via Olgettina 58, 20132 Milano, Italy.
Background:
It is not clear whether cystic fibrosis (CF) airway inflammation is a consequence of bacterial infection or is intrinsically dysregulated. The aim of this study was to investigate IL-8 secretion and NF-kappaB activity in primary respiratory epithelial cells cultured from nasal polyps obtained from CF and non-CF subjects.
Methods:
NF-kappaB activity was studied by electrophoretic mobility-shift and quantitative colorimetric assays in nuclear extracts. Immunoreactive IL-8 levels were assessed by ELISA in cell culture supernatants. Both parameters were studied at baseline and following challenge with Pseudomonas aeruginosa or stimulation with pro-inflammatory cytokines.
Results:
Under basal conditions, CF cells presented a significant higher activity of NF-kappaB than non-CF cells (P=0.0004). P. aeruginosa challenge and IL-1beta/H2O2 co-stimulation caused four and two fold induction of NF-kappaB activity in non-CF and CF cells, respectively. IL-8 levels in unstimulated CF cells were significantly higher than in non-CF cells (P=0.0025). Upon incubation with P. aeruginosa and IL-1beta/H2O2, non-CF cells produced 6.3 times more IL-8 than unstimulated cells, whereas IL-8 secretion increased only of 1.4 times in CF cells.
Conclusions:
CF respiratory epithelial cells exhibit a basal dysregulated production of IL-8 that partially correlates to enhanced NF-kappaB activity. Our data corroborate the hypothesis of a basal exaggerated inflammatory response in the CF respiratory epithelium.
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