Inhibitory Effects of α1 Protease Inhibitor on the Production of IL-1 and TNFα by Alveolar Macrophages in Patients with Lung Cancer

Abstract

In the present study, we investigated the effect of alpha 1 protease inhibitor (alpha 1PI) on the production of interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1 alpha, ELISA), IL-1 beta (ELISA), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha, ELISA) by alveolar macrophages (AM) recruited by bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) from patients with lung cancer and benign pulmonary diseases. Levels of BALF alpha 1PI were significantly increased in patients with lung cancer compared with benign pulmonary diseases. When BALF AM were cultured and stimulated by LPS (20 micrograms/ml) for 48 hours, production of IL-1 alpha and IL-1 beta was less marked in patients with lung production showed a similar tendency, but the difference between patients with lung cancer and benign pulmonary diseases was not significant. Addition of alpha 1PI to the LPS-stimulated AM culture system inhibited production of these cytokines dose-dependently. Thus, the local increase of alpha 1PI in lung cancer may act as a humoral inhibitor against the production of IL-1 and TNF by AM.