International Journal of Biomedical Science       2(2) 114-120                 

© 2005 Master Publishing Group

Original Articles      [FullText]      [PDF]

Immunomodulation of fucosyl-lactose and lacto-N-fucopentaose on mononuclear cells from multiple sclerosis and healthy subjects.
S. Sotgiu, G. Arru, M.L. Fois, A. Sanna, M. Musumeci*, G. Rosati, S. Musumeciδ
Institute of Clinical Neurology, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy;
*Istituto Superiore di Sanita, Department of Hematology, Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Rome, Italy;
δDepartment of Pharmacology, Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Paediatrics, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy, and Institute of Population Genetic, National Research Council (CNR), Alghero (SS), Italy

Corresponding author:
Prof. Stefano Sotgiu
Institute of Clinical Neurology, University of Sassari
Viale San Pietro, 10
I-07100, ITALY
Tel +39-079-228231; Fax +39-079-228423
Email(s): stesot@hotmail.com or stefanos@uniss.it
mononuclear cells, 2-fucosyl-lactose, lacto-N-fucopentaose I, multiple sclerosis.
    The 1,2-fucosyl-oligosaccharides, and among these the 2'-fucosyl-lactose (2'-FL) and lacto-N-fucopentaose (LNFP)-I, are quantitatively the most represented oligosaccharides of human milk. They are also seen to represent an important immune device to prevent nursing infants from severe infectious diarrhoea. Recent evidences show that the appearance of 2'-FL and LNFP-I in human colostrums is synchronised with the macrophage inhibition and that LNFP-III induces a Th2 response from the mouse peripheral immune system. Since mannosyl-fucosyl receptors are described on the macrophage surface, all these evidences allow us to investigate on the possible immune function of human 2'-FL and LNFP-I in vitro on LPS-activated mononuclear cells (MNC) from 12 patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and 20 matched health controls (HC). We found that 2'-FL and LNFP-I significantly decrease, to a different extent, the MNC proliferation from both HC and MS patients, in a linear and dose-dependent manner. 2'-FL and LNFP-I also reduce the production of IL-12 and IFN-γ, particularly in MS patients as compared to HC (p=0.01 and p<0.001, respectively), while increasing that of IL-10. The overall immunomodulatory effect of 2'-FL and LNFP I here presented may represent a future therapeutic option for the abnormal immune response found in some monocyte-mediated diseases.


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