Proliferation stimulating effects of chrysotile and crocidolite asbestos fibres on B lymphocyte cell lines

Our plain-English summary of Proliferation stimulating effects of chrysotile and crocidolite asbestos fibres on B lymphocyte cell lines, by A. Ueki, T. Oka, Y. Mochizuki (Clinical and Experimental Immunology, 1984).

The study

• Authors: A. Ueki, T. Oka, Y. Mochizuki
• Journal: Clinical and Experimental Immunology
• Published: 1984;56(2):425-30
• Cited by: 5 articles, as counted by NIH iCite
• Read it: PubMed · Free full text

Abstract

Asbestos fibres of chrysotile, crocidolite and amosite were incubated with eight types of human cell lines in vitro. These asbestos fibre were cytotoxic to fibroblasts and monocyte like cells, as is already known. On the other hand, immature B lymphocyte lines (B1 2) were stimulated significantly by chrysotile and crocidolite, while a mature B cell line (B3) was not affected. Cell proliferation of a T cell line and an erythromyeloid cell line also was not affected by asbestos. For the stimulation of lymphocytes, the binding of the mitogen to the reactive sites on the lymphocyte surface is thought to be indispensable. It seems that chrysotile and crocidolite asbestos can bind to immature B lymphocytes, but not to mature B cells.

In plain English

This was a laboratory study of human cells grown in dishes, not of people. The authors added chrysotile, crocidolite or amosite asbestos fibres at four concentrations (10 to 1,000 micrograms per millilitre) to eight human cell lines and counted the cells after 48 hours. In two immature B lymphocyte lines derived from Burkitt's lymphoma (Raji and Daudi), chrysotile and crocidolite significantly increased cell growth, most at 50 and 100 micrograms per millilitre. Amosite did not, and was slightly toxic at high concentrations. Effects on a third B cell line (SB) were not significant. Chrysotile and crocidolite did not affect a mature B cell line, a T cell line or an erythromyeloid line. All three fibres were toxic to monocyte-like cells, and chrysotile and crocidolite were significantly toxic to fibroblasts. Under the microscope, chrysotile fibres were the finest. The authors concluded that chrysotile and crocidolite seem to affect B lymphocytes only while immature, perhaps by binding to them. They also suggested that the lymphoma origin of these cells might explain their sensitivity.

We wrote this plain-English summary from the full article with the help of AI, and a second AI model checked each sentence against the article. It is not the authors' wording; the abstract and the article are their own account.

What the study did and found

• Design: laboratory (in vitro) experiment on human cell lines
• Who was studied: Eight human cell lines: four B lymphocyte lines (Raji, Daudi, SB, RPMI 1788), one T cell line (MOLT-4), one erythromyeloid line (K-562), one monocytic line (J-111) and one fibroblastic line (HEL-299). Raji and Daudi are derived from Burkitt's lymphoma. The work was done at the Department of Hygiene, Kawasaki Medical School, Japan.
• Exposure: Chrysotile, crocidolite and amosite fibres from the Pneumoconiosis Research Unit, South Africa. They were added to cell cultures at final concentrations of 10, 50, 100 and 1,000 micrograms per millilitre and incubated for 48 hours, after which cells were counted with a haemocytometer.
• Main results:
  • Chrysotile and crocidolite significantly enhanced proliferation of Raji and Daudi cells (immature B lymphocyte lines).
  • In Raji and Daudi cells, the greatest stimulation was at 50 and 100 micrograms per millilitre.
  • Amosite did not stimulate Raji or Daudi cells at any concentration and was slightly cytotoxic at high concentrations.
  • In SB lymphocytes, chrysotile and amosite were slightly stimulatory, but not significantly.
  • In the mature B cell line RPMI 1788, chrysotile and crocidolite caused neither stimulation nor cytotoxicity.
  • None of the three fibres had any effect on MOLT-4 T lymphocytes or on K-562 erythromyeloid cells.
  • All three fibres were cytotoxic to J-111 monocytic (macrophage-like) cells.
  • Chrysotile and crocidolite were significantly cytotoxic to HEL-299 fibroblasts. Amosite was slightly cytotoxic only at high concentrations.
  • By scanning electron microscopy, chrysotile fibres were the finest and most tangled and crocidolite resembled them, while amosite fibres were less fine, less long and separated.
• The authors' conclusion: The authors concluded that chrysotile and crocidolite seem to affect B lymphocytes only while immature, and suggested these fibres may bind to immature but not mature B cells.
• Limitations the authors state:
  • The authors offered an alternative explanation: B lymphocytes derived from Burkitt's lymphoma may be especially susceptible to asbestos.
  • The authors state that the relationship between the biological effects and fibre length was not clarified.
  • The authors state that the reason for differences between fibre types is unknown.

Topics

The National Library of Medicine indexes this study under subjects our site covers: Amosite, Chrysotile, Crocidolite.

Medical terms in this study, explained in our Lexicon: Chrysotile, Crocidolite, Amosite, Fibroblast.

Related studies

• Activation of human CD4+CD45RA+ T cells by chrysotile asbestos in vitro — K. Kinugawa, A. Ueki, et al. (1992)
• Biological effects of asbestos fibers on human cells in vitro--especially on lymphocytes and neutrophils — A. Ueki (2001)
• In vitro depression of human lymphocyte mitogen response (phytohaemagglutinin) by asbestos fibres — R.G. Barbers, W.W. Shih, et al. (1982)
• MS4A1 dysregulation in asbestos-related lung squamous cell carcinoma is due to CD20 stromal lymphocyte expression — C.M. Wright, S.M. Savarimuthu Francis, et al. (2012)
• Amphibole, but not chrysotile, asbestos induces anti-nuclear autoantibodies and IL-17 in C57BL/6 mice — A. Ferro, C.N. Zebedeo, et al. (2014)
• Cytotoxicity and multinucleate giant cell formation in Chinese hamster lung fibroblast caused by crocidolite and chrysotile — Y.C. Hong, S.S. Choi (1997)

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