Background and aim: Platinum salts, known occupational respiratory sensitizers, may also induce contact hypersensitivity in animal models. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of potassium tetrachloroplatinate (TCPP) on in vitro cultured human monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MoDCs) and to compare it with a response to nickel sulfate (NiSO4). The expression of CD54, CD86, and HLA-DR surface antigens as well as IL-1beta transcription was investigated.
Conclusions: MoDCs populations generated from three healthy volunteers displayed the phenotype responsive to NiSO4 and non-responsive to sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). Clear up-regulation of IL-1beta mRNA as well as CD54, CD86 and HLA-DR expression in response to NiSO4 (250 microM) was detected after 48 hrs of exposure. No up-regulation of evaluated surface antigens was observed following the treatment with SDS (150 microM). TCPP (150 microM) similarly to NiSO4 induced up-regulation of IL-1beta mRNA, CD54, CD86, but not HLA-DR expression. The response to TCPP showed less inter-individual variability, however it was weaker in comparison to the response to NiSO4. The results suggest that platinum salts can induce in MoDCs phenotypical changes characteristic for skin sensitizers.