Proinflammatory response of human trophoblastic cells to Brucella abortus infection and upon interactions with infected phagocytes

Trophoblasts are targets of infection by Brucella spp. but their role in the pathophysiology of pregnancy complications of brucellosis is unknown. Here we show that Brucella abortus invades and replicates in the human trophoblastic cell line Swan-71 and that the intracellular survival of the bacteri...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Fernández, Gabriela Andrea, Ferrero, Mariana Cristina, Hielpos, María Soledad, Fossati, Carlos Alberto, Baldi, Pablo Cesar
Format: article
Status:Published version
Publication Date:2016
Country:Argentina
Institution:Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
Repository:CONICET Digital (CONICET)
Language:English
OAI Identifier:oai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/39752
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/11336/39752
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Brucella
Cellular Interactions
Inflammatory Response
Trophoblast
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/3.3
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/3
Description
Summary:Trophoblasts are targets of infection by Brucella spp. but their role in the pathophysiology of pregnancy complications of brucellosis is unknown. Here we show that Brucella abortus invades and replicates in the human trophoblastic cell line Swan-71 and that the intracellular survival of the bacterium depends on a functional virB operon. The infection elicited significant increments of interleukin 8 (IL8), monocyte chemotactic protein 1 (MCP-1), and IL6 secretion, but levels of IL1beta and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) did not vary significantly. Such proinflammatory response was not modified by the absence of the Brucella TIR domain-containing proteins BtpA and BtpB. The stimulation of Swan-71 cells with conditioned medium (CM) from B. abortus-infected human monocytes (THP-1 cells) or macrophages induced a significant increase of IL8, MCP-1 and IL6 as compared to stimulation with CM from non-infected cells. Similar results were obtained when stimulation was performed with CM from infected neutrophils. Neutralization studies showed that IL1beta and/or TNF-alpha mediated the stimulating effects of CM from infected phagocytes. Reciprocally, stimulation of monocytes and neutrophils with CM from Brucella-infected trophoblasts increased IL8 and/ or IL6 secretion. These results suggest that human trophoblasts may provide a local inflammatory environment during B. abortus infections either through a direct response to the pathogen or through interactions with monocytes/macrophages or neutrophils, potentially contributing to the pregnancy complications of brucellosis.