Gamma irradiation influences phenotype of human dendritic cells in vitro

Aim:To determine whether gamma irradiation influences phenotype of dendritic cells (DCs) in vitro.Methods:DCs were induced from the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) with RPMI 1640 medium containing recombinant human GM CSF (rhGM CSF, 800 U/ml) and recombinant human IL 4 (rhIL 4, 500 U/ml). Phenotypic changes were monitored by light microscopy. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) at a concentration of 5 mg/L was added into the cultures after 6 days of growth and the cells were cultured for another 24 hours for DC complete maturation. The harvested DC on the 7th day were equally divided into 2 parts.One part was used as non irradiated DC (naive DC),and the other part was transferred to a gamma irradiator and irradiated at a dose of 30 Gy (irradiated DC). Cell surface molecules were analyzed by flow cytometry.Results:Gamma irradiation reduced the expression of CD86, CD80,and HLA DR molecules on dendritic cells, especially CD86 molecules ( P =0.007 2).Conclusion:Gamma irradiation of dendritic cells influences phenotype of DC.