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(Journal of Leukocyte Biology. 2001;70:868-872.)
© 2001 by Society for Leukocyte Biology

In vivo GM-CSF prevents dexamethasone suppression of killing of Aspergillus fumigatus conidia by bronchoalveolar macrophages

Elmer Brummer*, Anjum Maqbool* and David A. Stevens*

* California Institute for Medical Research and
{dagger} Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, San Jose, and
{ddagger} Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California

Correspondence: Dr. Elmer Brummer, Div. of Infectious Diseases, Dept. of Medicine, Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, 751 S. Bascom Ave., San Jose, CA 95128-2699. E-mail: e.brummer{at}juno.com

Dexamethasone (DEX) is a potent immunosuppressive agent used in the treatment of several disorders. However, despite its beneficial effects, DEX puts patients at risk for opportunistic infections, especially pulmonary aspergillosis. Previously we reported that in vitro granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) blocks the immunosuppressive action of DEX on bronchoalveolar macrophages (BAMs). Here we report that BAMs freshly isolated from mice treated intraperitoneally with DEX for 24 h had significantly (P<0.01) reduced killing of conidia, i.e., 15 ± 5% conidia killed by BAMs from DEX-treated mice versus 35 ± 3% by BAMs from mice given saline, 38 ± 5% by BAMs from mice given GM-CSF, and 39 ± 1% by BAMs from mice given both DEX and GM-CSF. On the other hand, in another compartment GM-CSF could not block the DEX reduction of spleen weight and spleen cellularity. Unlike GM-CSF, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor did not block DEX suppression of BAMs. GM-CSF given 24 h before DEX resulted in blocking of DEX suppression of BAM conidiacidal activity. However, when DEX was given 24 h before GM-CSF, DEX suppression of BAM was not reversed. These data show that GM-CSF in vivo blocks the in vivo immunosuppressive effects of DEX on BAM killing of conidia and suggest a potential use of GM-CSF in patients at risk for aspergillosis due to immunosuppressive DEX treatment.

Key Words: alveolar macrophages • conidia • glucocorticoids




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