MACROPHAGE ACTIVATION BY IMMUNE COMPLEX IN PIGEON FANCIER'S LUNG

Abstract

Pigeon fancier's lung (PFL) is a form of extrinsic allergic alveolitis (hypersensitivity pneumonitis) the pathogenesis
of the disease is throught to be caused by the deposition of immune complexes in the alveoli. Although this is generally agreed in the bionic pathogenesis of disease it is difficult to understand why a large proportion of people with
high titres of antibody do not get disease. Allergen avoidance to pigeon is the best therapy for Pigeon fancier's lung
(PFL). However, allergen avoidance is not possible because of occupational exposure, immunotherapy may be the
treatment of choice in cases of pigeon allergy. In this study we firstly showed the optimal concentration of LPS and
the optimum time for activation was 10μ/ml for 24 hours after stimulated the cells by PMA for 72 hours. Immune
complexes were generated with mucin, fresh pigeon droppings (PDF), old pigeon droppings (PDO), and patents
sera. Immune complexes with PDF and PDO activated macrophages to produce TNFα. However immune complex
with mucin did not activate macrophages. There was difference in the ability of immune complexes from symptomatic and asymptomatic individual to activate macrophage.