Mineral Particles of Varying Composition Induce Differential Chemokine Release from Epithelial Lung Cells: Importance of Physico-chemical Characteristics

• Published in: The Annals of occupational hygiene Vol. 49; no. 3; pp. 219 - 231
• Main Authors: ØVREVIK, J., MYRAN, T., REFSNES, M., LÅG, M., BECHER, R., HETLAND, R. B., SCHWARZE, P. E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Oxford University Press 01-04-2005
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Cell Line; Chemical and industrial products toxicology. Toxic occupational diseases; Chemical Phenomena; Chemistry, Physical; Chemokines - metabolism; Epithelial Cells - drug effects; Epithelial Cells - metabolism; Humans; Inorganic dusts (pneumoconiosises) and organic dusts (byssinosis etc.); interleukin-8; Lung - drug effects; Lung - metabolism; macrophage inflammatory protein-2; Medical sciences; metals; minerals; Minerals - chemistry; Minerals - pharmacology; Occupational Exposure; Particle Size; quartz; Rats; size; stone quarry particles; Toxicology; type 2 cells; Particle size; Property composition relationship; Toxicity; Lung; metals; Minerals; Metal; Physicochemical properties activity relationship; interleukin-8; Respiratory system; Particle; macrophage inflammatory protein-2; Chemical composition; Interleukin 8; Release; Human; Alveolar type II cell; Cytokine; stone quarry particles; Quarry; Quartz; In vitro; Macrophage inflammatory protein 2; type 2 cells; Chemokine; size; Animal; Epithelial cell
• ISSN: 0003-4878; 1475-3162; 1475-3162
• DOI: 10.1093/annhyg/meh087

Presently, little is known about the potential health effects of mineral particles other than asbestos and quartz. In this study, a human epithelial lung cell line (A549), primary human small airway epithelial cells (SAECs) and primary rat type 2 (T2) cells were exposed to stone quarry particles of two size fractions (<10 and <2.5 μm) from nine different rock samples. The ability to induce the release of chemokines from lung cells was investigated and compared with the particles' mineral and element composition and the amount of soluble elements. The stone particles induced the release of only low levels of interleukin (IL)-8 from A549 cells. In contrast, some of the other particles induced the release of high levels of macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-2 from T2 cells, and high levels of IL-8 from SAECs. Differences in particle surface area could account for differences in activity between the <10 and <2.5 μm fractions of six out of the nine rock samples. For two samples the <2.5 μm fraction was most active and for one sample the <10 μm fraction was most active. Content of the mineral plagioclase displayed a strong, negative correlation with the potential to induce MIP-2, whereas the mineral pyroxene was positively correlated with MIP-2 induction. However, neither plagioclase nor pyroxene content was sufficient to explain differences in bioactivity between the particles. No statistically significant correlation was found between the amounts of total or soluble elements and MIP-2 release. In conclusion, the results suggest that mineral particles with a high content of plagioclase have a low potential to induce a pro-inflammatory response. However, a particular mineral or element responsible for eliciting strong increases in chemokine release could not be identified. Thus, at present it appears that analysing mineral and element content is insufficient to predict stone particle bioactivity, and that biological testing is a necessity.