The effect of synthetic malaria pigment (β-haematin) on adhesion molecule expression and interleukin-6 production by human endothelial cells

✍ Scribed by Donatella Taramelli; Nicoletta Basilico; Anna Maria De Palma; Marina Saresella; Pasquale Ferrante; Luciana Mussoni; Piero Olliaro

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1998
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 871 KB
• Volume: 92
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0035-9203
• DOI: 10.1016/s0035-9203(98)90954-3

✦ Synopsis

The effects of synthetic malaria pigment (P-haematin, BH) on the expression of the intercellular adhesion molecule1 (ICAM-1) and platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule 1 (PECAM-1) and the production of interleukin-6 (IL-6) by human microvascular endothelial cells were measured using flow cytometry analysis and immunoenzymatic assay. BH alone did not affect basal levels of ICAM-1, PECAM-1 or IL-6. When added to cell cultures before or with, but not after, lipopolysaccharide or tumour necrosis factora, BH at l-l 00 pg/mL induced a dose-dependent inhibition of IcAM-1 and PECAM-1 expression and IG6 production. Cell viability and human leucocyte antigen A,B,C expression remained unaffected. Similar, though more variable, results were obtained using human umbilical vein endothelial cells.These results suggested that accumulation of pigment within endothelial cells following repeated malaria infection reduces local inflammation and parasite sequestration through inhibition of either cytokine production or parasitized erythrocyte receptors on endothelial cells.