Epithelial to Mesenchymal Transition of Mesothelial Cells in Tuberculous Pleurisy.
- Author:
Changhwan KIM
1
;
Dong Gyu KIM
;
Sung Hoon PARK
;
Yong Il HWANG
;
Seung Hun JANG
;
Cheol Hong KIM
;
Ki Suck JUNG
;
Kwangseon MIN
;
Jae Woong LEE
;
Young Sook JANG
Author Information
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords: Epithelial to mesenchymal transition; IL-1beta; mesothelial cells; pleural fibrosis; TGF-beta1; tuberculous pleurisy
- MeSH: Cells, Cultured; Epithelial Cells/*pathology; Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition/*physiology; Fluorescent Antibody Technique; Humans; Pleura/*pathology; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; Tuberculosis, Pleural/*pathology
- From:Yonsei Medical Journal 2011;52(1):51-58
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
- Abstract: PURPOSE: Tuberculous pleurisy is the most frequent extrapulmonary manifestation of tuberculosis. In spite of adequate treatment, pleural fibrosis is a common complication, but the mechanism has not been elucidated. This study is to determine whether epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) of mesothelial cells occurs in tuberculous pleurisy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Normal pleural mesothelial cells, isolated from irrigation fluids during operations for primary spontaneous pneumothorax, were characterized by immunofluorescence and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). These cells were treated in vitro with various cytokines, which were produced in the effluents of tuberculous pleurisy. The isolated cells from the effluents of tuberculous pleurisy were analyzed by immunofluorescence and RT-PCR analysis. RESULTS: The isolated cells from the irrigation fluid of primary spontaneous pneumothorax had epithelial characteristics. These cells, with transforming growth factor-beta1 and/or interleukin-1beta treatment, underwent phenotypic transition from epithelial to mesenchymal cells, with the loss of epithelial morphology and reduction in cytokeratin and E-cadherin expression. Effluent analysis from tuberculous pleurisy using immunofluorescence and RT-PCR demonstrated two phenotypes that showed mesenchymal characteristics and both epithelial & mesencymal characteristics. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that pleural mesothelial cells in tuberculous pleurisy have been implicated in pleural fibrosis through EMT.
