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Updated: Jun 8, 2026
Analysis of Pulmonary Dendritic Cell Maturation and Migration during Allergic Airway Inflammation
Published on: July 23, 2012
Jet exhaust particles alter human dendritic cell maturation
Objective And Design:
Among combustion-derived air pollutants, little is known about jet kerosene characteristics and effects.
Materials And Methods:
Particles yielded by experimental kerosene combustion in a jet engine were characterized with electron microscopy and X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy. Immature human monocyte-derived dendritic cells were exposed for 18 h to 10, 25 or 100 μg/mL jet exhaust particles and/or Escherichia coli-derived endotoxin. Antigen-presenting and costimulation molecules (HLA DR, CD40, CD80, CD86, CD11c), tumor necrosis factor-α and interleukin-10 production were measured.
Results:
The primary particles of jet exhaust are spherical (9.9 nm), carbonaceous and exert an adjuvant effect on human monocyte-derived dendritic cell maturation in vitro. Concomitant particle and endotoxin stimulation induced a high cytokine production with low antigen-presenting molecules; particle contact prior to endotoxin contact led to an opposite phenotype. Finally, low cytokine production and high costimulation molecules were present when particle adjunction followed endotoxin contact.
Conclusions:
Jet exhaust particles act as adjuvants to endotoxin-induced dendritic cell maturation, suggesting possible implications for human health and a role for the time pattern of infectious and pollutant interplay.
