Korean J Otolaryngol-Head Neck Surg.  2006 Feb;49(2):182-186.

The Effect of Histamine on Rhinovirus-16 Infection in Airway Epithelial Cells

• Jang YJ
• Lee SH
• Kwon HJ
• Lee BJ
• Chung YS

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: It is not known if allergies promote rhinovirus infections or aggravate the symptoms of common cold due to rhinoviruses. Histamine is an important immune mediator that induces symptoms of allergic rhinitis and asthma. We therefore investigated the effect of histamine on rhinovirus-16 infection in airway epithelial cells. MATERIALS AND METHOD: A549 cells were incubated for 24 hours with rhinovirus, histamine (10(-5), 10(-4), or 10(-3) M), both, or neither. Mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) was estimated by flow cytometry, and secretion of IL-6 and IL-8 was measured by ELISA. Viral titers of rhinovirus-16 were measured by their cytopathic effects on lung fibroblasts after serial dilution.
RESULTS
Histamine and rhinovirus acted synergistically to increase IL-8 secretion and enhance viral titer in the supernatants of cultured cells. In contrast, histamine and rhinovirus did not show synergistic effects on cell surface expression of ICAM-1 or on IL-6 secretion.
CONCLUSION
Histamine may potentiate the secretion of IL-8 after rhinovirus-16 infection and may increase rhinovirus-16 titer in airway epithelial cells in a dose dependent manner.

Keyword

Histamine; Rhinovirus; IL-8; IL-6; ICAM-1

MeSH Terms

Asthma
Cells, Cultured
Common Cold
Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
Epithelial Cells*
Fibroblasts
Flow Cytometry
Fluorescence
Histamine*
Hypersensitivity
Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1
Interleukin-6
Interleukin-8
Lung
Rhinitis
Rhinovirus
Histamine
Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1
Interleukin-6
Interleukin-8