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A new device to study ex-vivo the effects of extracorporeal photochemotherapy on the immune system

Rigolio, Roberta ; Perseghin, Paolo ; Jonsson, Svante LU ; Petersson, Jesper LU ; Cavaletti, Guido and Cilio, Corrado Maria (2007) In Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology, B: Biology 88(1). p.68-75
Abstract
Extracorporeal photochemotherapy (ECP) is a medical procedure effective in the treatment of several different T-cell mediated diseases such as cutaneous T-cell lymphoma and Graft-versus-Host Disease. During ECP treatment the patient's blood is processed by means of a cell separator to collect leukocytes (leukapheresis), mostly lymphocytes and monocytes, which are then incubated with the photoactive drug 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP), exposed to ultraviolet-A light (UV-A) and reinfused to the patient. It has been suggested that during ECP not only UV-A irradiation but also changes in the environmental condition may be relevant. Although ECP has been shown to have an in-vivo immunomodulatory effect, the mechanisms through which ECP exerts its... (More)
Extracorporeal photochemotherapy (ECP) is a medical procedure effective in the treatment of several different T-cell mediated diseases such as cutaneous T-cell lymphoma and Graft-versus-Host Disease. During ECP treatment the patient's blood is processed by means of a cell separator to collect leukocytes (leukapheresis), mostly lymphocytes and monocytes, which are then incubated with the photoactive drug 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP), exposed to ultraviolet-A light (UV-A) and reinfused to the patient. It has been suggested that during ECP not only UV-A irradiation but also changes in the environmental condition may be relevant. Although ECP has been shown to have an in-vivo immunomodulatory effect, the mechanisms through which ECP exerts its effect remain elusive. One of the reasons for this incomplete knowledge is the absence of a reliable model for ECP. In order to investigate the effect of ECP on the peripheral immune system, we developed a new device which mimics the complete ECP cycle including blood transit through the cell separator. Peripheral blood samples (50 ml) were obtained from volunteers and processed using a peristaltic pump. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were then collected and treated with 8-MOP and UV-A under the same conditions used for the patients' therapy. Using this strategy we investigated 8-MOP, UV-A and their combined effect on the production of the pro-inflammatory cytokines interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), interleukine-2 (IL-2) and tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-alpha) in PBMC with and without polyclonal stimulation. We firstly demonstrated that our device does not affect total red and white blood cell counts. After 8-MOP and UV-A irradiation a significant decrease was observed in both activated CD4(+) and CD8(+) T lymphocytes producing IFN-gamma, IL-2 and TNF-alpha. Our findings are in line with those previously obtained in humans after complete ECP treatment, thus suggesting that our newly developed device is suitable for investigating the mechanism of action of ECP ex-vivo. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. (Less)
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organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
extracorporeal photochemotherapy (ECP), pro-inflammatory cytokines, IFN-gamma, IL-2, TNF-alpha
in
Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology, B: Biology
volume
88
issue
1
pages
68 - 75
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • wos:000248737500009
  • scopus:34447520439
ISSN
1011-1344
DOI
10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2007.05.001
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
The information about affiliations in this record was updated in December 2015. The record was previously connected to the following departments: Neurology, Malmö (013027010), Emergency medicine/Medicine/Surgery (013240200)
id
947a51d3-b270-4dc9-87fe-9bbab421abfc (old id 691626)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 16:54:48
date last changed
2022-01-28 23:01:14
@article{947a51d3-b270-4dc9-87fe-9bbab421abfc,
  abstract     = {{Extracorporeal photochemotherapy (ECP) is a medical procedure effective in the treatment of several different T-cell mediated diseases such as cutaneous T-cell lymphoma and Graft-versus-Host Disease. During ECP treatment the patient's blood is processed by means of a cell separator to collect leukocytes (leukapheresis), mostly lymphocytes and monocytes, which are then incubated with the photoactive drug 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP), exposed to ultraviolet-A light (UV-A) and reinfused to the patient. It has been suggested that during ECP not only UV-A irradiation but also changes in the environmental condition may be relevant. Although ECP has been shown to have an in-vivo immunomodulatory effect, the mechanisms through which ECP exerts its effect remain elusive. One of the reasons for this incomplete knowledge is the absence of a reliable model for ECP. In order to investigate the effect of ECP on the peripheral immune system, we developed a new device which mimics the complete ECP cycle including blood transit through the cell separator. Peripheral blood samples (50 ml) were obtained from volunteers and processed using a peristaltic pump. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were then collected and treated with 8-MOP and UV-A under the same conditions used for the patients' therapy. Using this strategy we investigated 8-MOP, UV-A and their combined effect on the production of the pro-inflammatory cytokines interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), interleukine-2 (IL-2) and tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-alpha) in PBMC with and without polyclonal stimulation. We firstly demonstrated that our device does not affect total red and white blood cell counts. After 8-MOP and UV-A irradiation a significant decrease was observed in both activated CD4(+) and CD8(+) T lymphocytes producing IFN-gamma, IL-2 and TNF-alpha. Our findings are in line with those previously obtained in humans after complete ECP treatment, thus suggesting that our newly developed device is suitable for investigating the mechanism of action of ECP ex-vivo. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.}},
  author       = {{Rigolio, Roberta and Perseghin, Paolo and Jonsson, Svante and Petersson, Jesper and Cavaletti, Guido and Cilio, Corrado Maria}},
  issn         = {{1011-1344}},
  keywords     = {{extracorporeal photochemotherapy (ECP); pro-inflammatory cytokines; IFN-gamma; IL-2; TNF-alpha}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{68--75}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology, B: Biology}},
  title        = {{A new device to study ex-vivo the effects of extracorporeal photochemotherapy on the immune system}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2007.05.001}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.jphotobiol.2007.05.001}},
  volume       = {{88}},
  year         = {{2007}},
}