The effect of Asian sand dust-activated respiratory epithelial cells on activation and migration of eosinophils

Contest: Asian sand dust (ASD) contains various chemical and microbiological materials. ASD aggravate the inflammatory response of respiratory epithelial cells and symptoms of asthma. Objective: To evaluate the inflammatory effects of ASD on the activation of bronchial epithelial cells and the effect on the activation and migration of eosinophils. Materials and methods: BEAS-2B cells were exposed to three forms of ASD: particles less than 10 mm in diameter (PM), dried sand dust (SD) and sand dust collected from the Gobi Desert (GB). Activation of the epithelial cells was determined using interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-8, granulocyte macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), regulated on activation normal T expressed and secreted (RANTES), and eotaxin. Eosinophil migration was induced with bronchial epithelial cell conditioned medium. Eosinophils were stimulated with the ASDs and production of superoxide and eosinophil cationic protein was measured. Results: PM and SD enhanced the production of IL-6, IL-8 and RANTES. However, only IL-6 production was significantly increased with GB. Conditioned medium stimulated PM and SD enhanced the migration of eosinophils. PM and SD strongly activated eosinophils. Discussion and conclusions: ASD, which contains smaller particles and air pollutants, might exacerbate the inflammatory process of bronchial tissue and asthmatic symptoms with the production of inflammatory mediators and tissue eosinophilia.