Effects of Tripterygium wilfordii saponins and interleukin-10 on dendriticcells from human peripheral blood

AIM: To study the effects of Tripterygium wilfordii (T-II) and IL-10 on hum an leukocyte antigen-DR (HLA-DR) and CD80 expressions and IL-12 p-40 subuni t production and transcription of dendritic cells (DC) in human peripheral blood from healthy volunteers in vitro. METHODS: DC were generated by cultu ring plastic-adherent peripheral blood mononuclear cells with GM-clony stim ulating factor ( GM-CSF), IL-4, and TNF alpha. The expressions of HLA-DR an d CD80 were examined by flow cytometry after the cells were stained with im munofluorescence antibodies. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction analysis were used to detect IL-12 p40 protein level and mRNA transcription, respectively. RESULTS: T-II 5 - 2 0 mg/L and IL-10 50 - 200 mug/L greatly down-regulated the membrane express ions of HLA-DR and CD80 on DC in a concentration-dependent manner. IL-12 p4 0 production and mRNA transcription were also inhibited in DC both by T-II and by IL-10. CONCLUSION: T-II and IL-10 exert immunosuppressive role via i nhibiting membrane expressions of HLA-DR and CD80 and synthesis of IL-12 p4 0 subunit in DC.