Sphingosylphosphorylcholine activates dendritic cells, stimulating the production of interleukin-12.

CEBALLOS A, , , , , ; SABATTE J; NAHMOD K; MARTINEZ D; SALAMONE G; VERMEULEN M,; MAGGINI J; SALOMON H,; GEFFNER J.

IMMUNOLOGY

WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC

Año: 2007 p. 1 - 9

0019-2805

Immunology. 2007 Jul;121(3):328-36. Epub 2007 Mar 20. Sphingosylphosphorylcholine activates dendritic cells, stimulating the production of interleukin-12. Ceballos A, Sabatté J, Nahmod K, Martínez D, Salamone G, Vermeulen M, Maggini J, Salomón H, Geffner J. National Reference Center for AIDS, Department of Microbiology, Buenos Aires University School of Medicine, Buenos Aires, Argentina. Compared with other lysophospholipid mediators such as sphingosine-1-phosphate and lysophosphatidic acid, little is known about the physiological significance of the related bioactive lysosphingolipid sphingosylphosphorylcholine (SPC), which is present in high-density lipoprotein particles. The present study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of SPC on human immature dendritic cells (DCs). Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and flow cytometry assays revealed that DCs express two putative receptors for SPC, ovarian cancer G-protein-coupled receptor 1 and G-protein-coupled receptor 4. Exposure to SPC induced a rapid and transient increase in intracellular free calcium concentrations but did not stimulate endocytosis or chemotaxis of DCs. SPC increased the expression of HLA-DR, CD86 and CD83 and improved the T-cell priming ability of DCs, as well as the ability of DCs to stimulate the production of interferon-gamma by allogeneic peripheral blood mononuclear cells during the mixed lymphocyte reaction. Consistent with these results, we also observed that SPC stimulated the production of interleukin (IL)-12 and IL-18 by DCs. Taken together, our results support the notion that the accumulation of SPC in peripheral tissues during the course of inflammatory processes may favour the development of T helper type 1 immunity.