Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cell Function and Dendritic Cell Differentiation Are Affected by Bisphenol-A
Alessandra Camarca1, Carmen Gianfrani2, Fabiana Ariemma3
1Institute of Food Science (ISA), National Council of Research (CNR), via Roma 64-83100, Avellino, Italy.
Plos One
|August 11, 2016
Summary
Low-dose Bisphenol-A (BPA) exposure significantly alters human immune cell function, increasing peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) proliferation and decreasing key cytokine production. BPA also affects dendritic cell differentiation, suggesting a role in immune deregulation and disease susceptibility.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Environmental Health
- Toxicology
Background:
- Environmental pollutants, including endocrine disruptor chemicals (EDCs), can cause hormonal, immune, and metabolic disruptions in humans.
- Bisphenol-A (BPA), a common polycarbonate plastic component, is globally distributed and widely encountered, raising concerns about its health effects due to its estrogenic activity.
- BPA exposure is suspected to play a role in the development of autoimmune, inflammatory, and allergic diseases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of low-dose BPA on the functionality of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs).
- To assess the impact of BPA on the in vitro differentiation and maturation of monocyte-derived dendritic cells (mDCs).
- To evaluate BPA's potential role in immune deregulation and susceptibility to inflammatory and autoimmune conditions.
Main Methods:
- Human PBMCs from healthy volunteers were incubated with or without BPA (0.1 and 1 nM) under unstimulated or stimulated conditions (phytohemagglutinin or anti-CD3/anti-CD28 antibodies).
- Immune modulation was assessed by measuring PBMC proliferation and secreted cytokines (IFN-γ, IL-4, IL-10, IL-13).
- mDCs were differentiated using IL-4 and GC-CSF with or without BPA, and their differentiation/maturation markers (CD11c, CD1a, CD86, HLA-DR) and cytokine profiles were analyzed.
Main Results:
- BPA exposure significantly increased PBMC proliferation compared to untreated cells.
- A significant decrease in IL-10 and IL-13 secretion was observed in BPA-treated PBMCs, particularly in stimulated cells.
- BPA (1 nM) altered mDC phenotype, increasing CD1a expression while decreasing HLA-DR and CD86 expression, indicating altered differentiation and maturation.
Conclusions:
- Low-dose BPA exposure significantly modulates human PBMC proliferation and cytokine production.
- BPA alters the differentiation and phenotype of human dendritic cells.
- These immune cell alterations suggest that chronic, low-dose BPA exposure may contribute to immune deregulation and increase susceptibility to inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.
