Abstract
Background
Endothelial cells (ECs) exert immunological functions such as production of proinflammatory cytokines/chemokines as well as facilitation of extravasation of immune cells into infected tissue. Limited data are available on the functionality of ECs from extremely preterm neonates during infection. Accordingly, the aim of our study was to investigate the immune response of premature ECs after proinflammatory stimulation.
Methods
Cell adhesion receptors’ expression and function, nuclear factor 'kappa-light-chain-enhancer' of activated B-cells (NFκB) signaling, and chemokine production were analyzed in umbilical cord ECs from extremely preterm and term neonates after proinflammatory stimulation.
Results
P-selectin and E-selectin surface expression as well as NFκB signaling were lower after lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation in premature ECs. Preterm ECs exhibited lower, but significant, cell-adhesive functions after LPS stimulation compared with term ECs. CCL2/CXCL8 chemokine secretion was significantly upregulated after proinflammatory stimulation in both groups. CXCL10 production was significantly increased in term but not in preterm ECs upon stimulation with tumor necrosis factor compared with unstimulated ECs.
Conclusion
Extremely premature ECs showed partly reduced expression levels and function of cell adhesion molecules. Both NFκB signaling and chemokine/cytokine production were reduced in premature ECs. The diminished endothelial proinflammatory immune response might result in impaired infection control of preterm newborns rendering them prone to severe infection.
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Acknowledgements
We want to thank Günther Hofbauer, Core Unit for Flow Cytometry, Medical University of Vienna, for technical assistance.
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Wisgrill, L., Muck, M., Wessely, I. et al. Endothelial cells of extremely premature infants display impaired immune response after proinflammatory stimulation. Pediatr Res 83, 128–134 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/pr.2017.202
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/pr.2017.202
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