Effect of tumor necrosis factor alpha and interleukin 1-alpha on the adherence of Streptococcus pneumoniae to chinchilla tracheal epithelium

The trachea whole organ perfusion technique nas used to study the effect of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) and interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1 alph a) on the adherence of otitis media pathogen streptococcus pneumoniac (Spn) type 6A. Tracheas were removed from chinchillas and divided equally. One-h alf trachea was activated by incubation with 1-10 ng ml of either TNF alpha or IL-1 alpha prior to the addition of Spn 6A to the organ culture Fc perf usion chamber. Colony forming units (cfu) of Spn millimeter trachea were de termined for activated tracheas and controls. Dose response and kinetics da ta were generated for each cytokine. The specificity of each reaction was d etermined by neutralization studies with specific anti-cytokine antibodies. The data indicate that both TNF alpha and IL-1 alpha increase the adherenc e of Spn to the respiratory epithelium of this tubal organ and suggest a me chanism which may facilitate enhanced adherence in vivo and thereby contrib ute to the pathogenesis of otitis media and other upper respiratory tract d iseases.