TY - JOUR T1 - Exposure to ozone shifts natural killer cells co-cultured with epithelial cells towards a type II phenotype JF - European Respiratory Journal JO - Eur Respir J VL - 40 IS - Suppl 56 SP - P2363 AU - Loretta Müller AU - Missy Brigthon AU - Ilona Jaspers Y1 - 2012/09/01 UR - http://erj.ersjournals.com/content/40/Suppl_56/P2363.abstract N2 - Nasal epithelial cells (NECs) are one of the first targets for air pollutants, such as ozone. Previous studies in our lab have demonstrated that natural killer (NK) cells are an important immune cell population in the nose. NK cells and NECs interact with each other via receptor-ligand interactions as well as soluble mediators. NK cells are an important source for type I cytokines, like IFN-γ, but also type II cytokines, like IL-4. Yet, whether and how exposure to air pollutants affects this interactions and changes NK cell phenotypes is not known.Differentiated NECs were exposed to ozone (O3; 0.4ppm, 4hrs). 2hrs after exposure peripheral blood NK cells were added to the apical side to establish co-cultures. At 24hrs post-exposure, both cell types were examined for changes in surface marker and intracellular cytokine expression by flow cytometry.Exposure to O3 significantly increased the expression of the NK cell ligands MICA/B and ULBP3 on NECs in co-cultures. NK cell surface markers NKG2D, NKp46 and CXCR3 were not affected by co-culture with O3-exposed NECs. Expression of CD16, a cytotoxicity marker, and Granzyme B, a marker of cytolytic NK cells, were enhanced in co-cultures with O3-exposed NECs. Intracellular IFN-γ was decreased and IL-4 was significantly increased in NK cells co-cultured with O3-exposed NECs.O3-induced changes in the microenvironment of NECs change NK cell phenotypes from a type I (high IFN-γ) to a type II (high IL-4) immunophenotype. These data indicate that exposure of NEC to O3 changes interactions with resident immune cells, such as NK cells, shifting the immune phenotype which likely affects the ability to fight invading pathogens. ER -