Abstract
The aromatic hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) had been described as a molecular sensor to which many environmental pollutants, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons (HAHs) binds leading to many biological and toxic effects. Recently, it had been demonstrated that the differentiation of CD4+ T cells is influenced by AhR ligands present in the surrounding microenvironment of the cells. In this study, we assessed the immune environment of CD4+ T cells in a cohort of firefighters, a group of individuals more exposed to AhR ligands. Our results showed that in firefighters, Th17 and Treg cells were increased compared to our control group. Also, the microenvironment presents an increase in cytokines promoting the differentiation of these cells in firefighters. The presence of a large number of AhR ligands in the firefighters' sera had been observed. Finally, in vitro treatments of CD4+ T cells with AhR ligands (BaP and Kynurenine) had shown an ability to modulate Treg and Th17 cells' differentiation.
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Abbreviations
- AhR:
-
Aryl hydrocarbon receptor
- AhRR:
-
Aryl hydrocarbon receptor repressor
- ALD:
-
Alcohol dehydrogenase
- APC:
-
Antigen-presenting cell
- ARNT:
-
Aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator
- BaP:
-
Benzo(a)pyrene
- BATF:
-
Basic leucine zipper transcription factor, ATF-like
- bHLH–PAS:
-
Basic helix-loop-helix Per-ARNT-Sim
- Bili:
-
Bilirubin
- CARS:
-
Compensatory anti-inflammatory response syndrome
- MHC:
-
Major histocompatibility complex
- CYP450:
-
Cytochrome P450
- DMBA:
-
7,12-Dimethylbenz(a)anthracene
- DRE:
-
Dioxin response element
- EGFR:
-
Epidermal growth factor receptor
- FBS:
-
Fetal bovine serum
- FICZ:
-
6-Formylindolo[3,2-b]carbazole
- Foxp3:
-
Forkhead box P3
- GATA-3:
-
GATA-3 binding protein
- GST:
-
Glutathione S-transferase
- GVH:
-
Graft versus host
- HAH:
-
Halogenated aromatic hydrocarbon
- PAH:
-
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon
- Hsp90:
-
Heat shock protein 90
- I3C:
-
Indole-3-carbinol
- IFNγ:
-
Interferon gamma
- IL:
-
Interleukin
- IRF4:
-
Interferon regulatory factor 4
- Kyn:
-
Kynurenine
- KMO:
-
Kynurenine 3-monooxygenase
- LT:
-
T lymphocyte
- MODS:
-
Multiple organ dysfunction syndrome
- NES:
-
Nuclear export signal
- NF-κB:
-
Nuclear factor-kappa B
- NK:
-
Natural killer
- NLS:
-
Nuclear localization signal
- NQO:
-
NADH-quinone oxidoreductase
- PBMC:
-
Peripheral blood mononuclear cells
- RORγt:
-
RAR-related orphan receptor gamma
- SIRS:
-
Systemic inflammatory response syndrome
- T-bet:
-
T-box transcription factor
- TAD:
-
Trans-activating domain
- Tc:
-
Cytotoxic T cell
- TCDD:
-
2,3,7,8-Tétrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin
- TGFβ:
-
Transforming growth factor beta
- Th:
-
T helper cell
- TNF:
-
Tumor necrosis factor
- Treg:
-
Regulatory T cell
- UGT:
-
Urdine triphosphate glucuronosyl transférase
- VAF347:
-
(4-(3-Chloro-phenyl)-pyrimidin-2-yl)-(4-trifluoromethyl-phenyl)-amine
- XRE:
-
Xenobiotic response element
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The authors would like to thank the volunteers who participated in this study as well as nurse Alexandre Arsenault.
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JB conceived the study; GR, DL, and JB designed the study; GR and DL performed the experiments; GR, DL, and JB analyzed, interpreted the data, and wrote the paper; JB supervised the study.
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Ricaud, G., Lim, D. & Bernier, J. Environmental Exposition to Aromatic Hydrocarbon Receptor Ligands Modulates the CD4+ T Lymphocyte Subpopulations Profile. Expo Health 13, 307–322 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12403-021-00385-w
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12403-021-00385-w