Effects of short-term JP-8 jet fuel exposure on cell-mediated immunity

The U.S. Air Force has implemented the widespread use of JP-8 jet fuel in its operations, although a thorough understanding of its potential effects upon exposed personnel is unclear. Exposure to environmental toxicants such as JP-8 may have significant effects on host physiology. Jet fuel exposure has been shown to cause human liver dysfunction, abnormal electroencephalograms, shortened attention spans, and decreased sensorimotor speed. Previous studies have shown that short-term, low-concentration JP-8 exposure had significant effects on the immune system; e.g., decreased viable immune cell numbers, decreased immune organ weights, and loss of immune function that persisted for extended periods of time (i.e., up to 4 weeks post-exposure). In the current study, an in-depth analysis of the effects of JP-8 exposure on cellular immunity was performed. Short-term (7 days, 1 h/day), low-concentration (1000 mg/m3) exposures were conducted in mice, and T cell and natural killer (NK) cell functions were analyzed 24 h after the last exposure. The exposure regimen was found to almost completely ablate NK cell function, as well as significantly suppress the generation of lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cell activity. Furthermore, JP-8 exposure suppressed the generation of cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) cells from precursor T cells, and inhibited helper T cell activity. These findings demonstrate that JP-8 jet fuel exposure has significant detrimental effects on immune functions of exposed individuals. JP-8 jet fuel should be considered a potential and significant immunotoxicant. Chronic exposure to JP-8 may have serious implications to the long-term health of exposed individuals.

[1]  S. Loft,et al.  Jet fuel and liver function. , 1985, Scandinavian journal of work, environment & health.

[2]  G. Chaouat,et al.  NK cells and reproduction. , 1997, Immunology today.

[3]  D. Scadden,et al.  Hematopoietic growth factors. Biology and clinical applications. , 1989, The New England journal of medicine.

[4]  S. Anderson,et al.  Regulation of human natural killing. I. The role of monocytes, interferon, and prostaglandins. , 1981, Journal of immunology.

[5]  R. Fernandez-Botran,et al.  Cellular interactions in the humoral immune response. , 1989, Advances in immunology.

[6]  M. Oldstone Viral persistence and immune dysfunction. , 1990, Hospital practice.

[7]  P. Greenberg Adoptive T cell therapy of tumors: mechanisms operative in the recognition and elimination of tumor cells. , 1991, Advances in immunology.

[8]  M. Hirokawa,et al.  The immunoregulatory effects of NK cells: the role of TGF-beta and implications for autoimmunity. , 1997, Immunology today.

[9]  I. Pastan,et al.  Prevention of graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) by elimination of recipient-reactive donor T cells with recombinant toxins that target the interleukin 2 (IL-2) receptor , 1999, Bone Marrow Transplantation.

[10]  C L Alden,et al.  A 90-Day Continuous Vapor Inhalation Toxicity Study of JP-8 Jet Fuel Followed by 20 or 21 Months of Recovery in Fischer 344 Rats and C57BL/6 Mice , 1991, Toxicologic pathology.

[11]  K. Ishizaka Regulation of Immunoglobulin E Biosynthesis , 1989 .

[12]  C. Taswell Limiting dilution assays for the determination of immunocompetent cell frequencies. III. Validity tests for the single-hit Poisson model. , 1984, Journal of immunological methods.

[13]  R. Coffman,et al.  Heterogeneity of cytokine secretion patterns and functions of helper T cells. , 1989, Advances in immunology.

[14]  L. Lanier Natural killer cells fertile with receptors for HLA-G? , 1999, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America.

[15]  D. Yuan,et al.  The role of NK cells during in vivo antigen-specific antibody responses. , 1996, Journal of immunology.

[16]  A. Nagler,et al.  Natural killer (NK) cells prevent virus production in cell culture , 1999, Bone Marrow Transplantation.

[17]  R C Lantz,et al.  Changes in Lung Permeability Correlate With Lung Histology in a Chronic Exposure Model , 1995, Toxicology and industrial health.

[18]  R. Robledo,et al.  Immunotoxicological Effects of Jp-8 Jet Fuel Exposure , 1997, Toxicology and industrial health.

[19]  R. Robledo,et al.  Short-Term Exposure To Jp-8 Jet Fuel Results in Longterm Immunotoxicity , 1997 .

[20]  H. Chen,et al.  Capsaicin pretreatment before JP-8 jet fuel exposure causes a large increase in airway sensitivity to histamine in rats , 1992, Regulatory Peptides.

[21]  P. Mindus,et al.  Neuropsychiatric symptoms in workers occupationally exposed to jet fuel — a combined epidemiological and casuistic study , 1983, Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica Supplementum.

[22]  John Pfaff,et al.  Inhalation exposure to jp‐8 jet fuel alters pulmonary function and substance p levels in fischer 344 rats , 1995, Journal of applied toxicology : JAT.