Effects of polychlorinated biphenyls and pesticides on immunophenotype and Th1/Th2 polarisation in human lymphocyte cultures

Pesticids were being produced against pestilents in agriculture sector, while polichlorinated bipheyls (PCBs) were produced for industrial purposes. PCBs and pesticids have been to have known bioaccumulative properties.It was shown that, PCBs and pesticids have neurotoxicity, carcinogenicity,immune system suppression and endocrine disruption effects in various studies.The aim of this thesis study was to investigate the action of PCB 52, PCB 77 and endosulphan, chlorpyrifos on Th1/Th2 polarization and immuno phenotype in human lymphocytes cultures. In this study, isolated human lymphocytes were prepared from venous blood sample from eight volunteers. And then lymphocyte isolation was performed and plantation having same density was made to the cellular culture plates. PCB 52 (0,1 µl), PCB 77 (1 µl), endosulphan (1 µl) and chloropirifus (10 µl) were applied to four different lymphocyte cellular culture, respectively. The experiments was done separately both with and without Concanavalin A (ConA) medium. Supernatant with 0,3 mL was taken in the end of 24 and 48 hours after application PCBs and pesticids. And then we measured in levels of IL-13, IFN-γ and TGF-β by ELISA method. At the end of these experiment, lymphocytes in all well plate were applied by repeatitive feeding and immuno phenotype was detected by flow cytometry. PCBs caused a significant increase in expression of CD23, CD4+25 and TGF-β on Th1 and B cells. Pesticids, especially chloropirifus, caused an increase in levels of CD4+CD30+ at lymphocytes cell cultures. Chloropirifu caused increase in level of IFN-γ while suppression effects in Th2 polarization. Our results showed that PCBs and pesticides may lead to change immune system response towards Th1 and Th2, respectively.