This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Harris, D. Articles by Witten, M Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Harris, D. Articles by Witten, M Social Bookmarking                         What's this?

JP-8 jet fuel exposure suppresses the immune response to viral infections

Department of Immunobiology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA davidh{at}U.Arizona.EDU

D Sakiestewa

Department of Immunobiology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA

D Titone

Department of Immunobiology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA

X He

Department of Immunobiology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA

J Hyde

Department of Pediatrics, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA

M Witten

Department of Pediatrics, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, USA

The US Air Force has implemented the widespread use of JP-8 jet fuel in its operations, although a thorough understanding of its potential effects upon exposed personnel is unclear. Previous work has reported that JP-8 exposure is immunosuppressive. Exposure of mice to JP-8 for 1 h/day resulted in immediate secretion of two immunosuppressive agents, namely, interleukin-10 and prostaglandin E2. Thus, it was of interest to determine if jet fuel exposure might alter the immune response to infectious agents. The Hong Kong influenza model was used for these studies. Mice were exposed to 1000 mg/m³ JP-8 (1 h/day) for 7 days before influenza viral infection. Animals were infected intra-nasally with virus and followed in terms of overall survival as well as immune responses. All surviving animals were killed 14 days after viral infection. In the present study, JP-8 exposure increased the severity of the viral infection by suppressing the anti-viral immune responses. That is, exposure of mice to JP-8 for 1 h/day for 7 days before infection resulted in decreased immune cell viability after exposure and infection, a greater than fourfold decrease in immune proliferative responses to mitogens, as well as an overall loss of CD3⁺, CD4⁺, and CD8⁺ T cells from the lymph nodes, but not the spleens, of infected animals. These changes resulted in decreased survival of the exposed and infected mice, with only 33% of animals surviving as compared with 50% of mice infected but not jet fuel–exposed (and 100% of mice exposed only to JP-8). Thus, short-term, low-concentration JP-8 jet fuel exposures have significant suppressive effects on the immune system which can result in increased severity of viral infections.

Key Words: hydrocarbon inhalation • immunotoxicology • influenza • jet fuel • JP-8 • viruses

Toxicology and Industrial Health, Vol. 24, No. 4, 209-216 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/0748233708093781


CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter    What's this?