Ceruloplasmin expression by human peripheral blood lymphocytes: A new link between immunity and iron metabolism

Ceruloplasmin (CP) is a multicopper oxidase involved in the acute phase reaction to stress. Although the physiological role of CP is uncertain, its role in iron (Fe) homeostasis and protection against free radical-initiated cell injury has been widely documented. Previous studies showed the existenc...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Free radical biology & medicine 2008-02, Vol.44 (3), p.483-492
Main Authors: Banha, João, Marques, Liliana, Oliveira, Rita, Martins, Maria de Fátima, Paixão, Eleonora, Pereira, Dina, Malhó, Rui, Penque, Deborah, Costa, Luciana
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Base Sequence
Biomarkers - analysis
Cell Line
Ceruloplasmin
Ceruloplasmin - analysis
Ceruloplasmin - genetics
Ceruloplasmin - metabolism
Copper
Female
Humans
Immunity
Iron
Iron - metabolism
Lymphocytes - enzymology
Lymphocytes - immunology
Male
Middle Aged
Molecular Sequence Data
NK cells
Peripheral blood lymphocytes
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Ceruloplasmin (CP) is a multicopper oxidase involved in the acute phase reaction to stress. Although the physiological role of CP is uncertain, its role in iron (Fe) homeostasis and protection against free radical-initiated cell injury has been widely documented. Previous studies showed the existence of two molecular isoforms of CP: secreted CP (sCP) and a membrane glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored form of CP (GPI-CP). sCP is produced mainly by the liver and is abundant in human serum whereas GPI-CP is expressed in mammalian astrocytes, rat leptomeningeal cells, and Sertolli cells. Herein, we show using RT-PCR that human peripheral blood lymphocytes (huPBL) constitutively express the transcripts for both CP molecular isoforms previously reported. Also, expression of CP in huPBL is demonstrated by immunofluorescence with confocal microscopy and flow cytometry analysis using cells isolated from healthy blood donors with normal Fe status. Importantly, the results obtained show that natural killer cells have a significantly higher CP expression compared to all other major lymphocyte subsets. In this context, the involvement of lymphocyte-derived CP on host defense processes via its anti/prooxidant properties is proposed, giving further support for a close functional interaction between the immune system and the Fe metabolism.
ISSN:0891-5849
1873-4596
DOI:10.1016/j.freeradbiomed.2007.10.032