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Activation of innate immunity by prostate specific antigen (PSA)
Author(s) -
Kodak James A.,
Mann Dean L.,
Klyushnenkova Ele.,
Alexander Richard B.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
the prostate
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.295
H-Index - 123
eISSN - 1097-0045
pISSN - 0270-4137
DOI - 10.1002/pros.20414
Subject(s) - peripheral blood mononuclear cell , secretion , prostate specific antigen , cytokine , antigen , prostate , cd14 , immunology , flow cytometry , biology , medicine , endocrinology , in vitro , biochemistry , cancer
BACKGROUND Prostate specific antigen (PSA) is a serine protease secreted by the prostatic epithelium. The only known function of the protein is to cleave seminogelin. We wished to determine if PSA activated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). METHODS PBMC and selected sub‐populations were cultured with purified PSA. Secretion of IFNγ was measured by cytokine capture flow cytometry and enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS We observed secretion of IFNγ and a proliferative response in PBMC cultured with PSA. We found that NK cells were the source of the IFNγ but NK cells were not directly stimulated by PSA. Rather, a soluble factor secreted primarily by CD14 monocytes in response to PSA stimulated NK cells to secrete IFNγ. DISCUSSION PSA induces a pro‐inflammatory response that results in the secretion of INFγ by NK cells. The presence of large amounts of PSA could contribute to the common finding of inflammatory infiltrates in the prostate. Prostate 66: 1592–1599, 2006. Published 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.