a National Key Laboratory of Gene Technology , Institute of Biotechnology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology , Hanoi , Vietnam.
b Faculty of Biotechnology, Graduate University of Science and Technology, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology , Hanoi , Vietnam.
J Immunotoxicol. 2017 Dec;14(1):196-203. doi: 10.1080/1547691X.2017.1377323.
Many Vietnamese citizens have been and continue to be inadvertently exposed to dioxins and dioxin-like compounds deposited in the country during the Vietnam War. Dioxins may be involved in the pathogenesis of inflammatory diseases in part via by affecting expression of aryl hydrocarbon receptor (Ahr) and inflammatory cytokines in animal models. As the role of the Ahr in dioxin-exposed people is not well defined, a study was conducted to examine gene expression levels of Ahr, inflammatory cytokines, and the incidence of diseases in dioxin-exposed citizens who had/still resided near a heavily dioxin-contaminated area in Vietnam. Whole blood from citizens at/around Da Nang airbase and control individuals living in unsprayed areas was collected. Serum levels of dioxins were analyzed by using a dioxins-responsive chemical-activated luciferase gene expression bioassay. Gene expression of Ahr, interleukin (IL)-1β, TNFα, IL-6, and IL-22 in whole blood was examined by quantitative real-time PCR. The results showed levels of dioxins and expression of Ahr, IL-1β, TNFα, and IL-6 were up-regulated while IL-22 expression was down-regulated in dioxin-exposed people. Various disease incidences in the study subjects was also examined. Interestingly, the incidence of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in these individuals was increased compared to the estimated prevalence of this disease in the general Vietnamese population. Analyses also showed that expression levels of Ahr correlated to those of IL-6 and IL-22 in the dioxin-exposed people. Taken together, dioxins might be involved in an up-regulated expression of Ahr that might possibly relate to changes in level of inflammatory cytokines and, ultimately, in the incidence of select diseases in residents of Vietnam who had/continue to live near a dioxins-contaminated site.
许多越南公民在越南战争期间无意中接触到了沉积在该国的二恶英和类二恶英化合物。二恶英可能通过影响动物模型中芳烃受体 (Ahr) 和炎症细胞因子的表达，部分参与炎症性疾病的发病机制。由于 Ahr 在接触二恶英人群中的作用尚未明确，因此进行了一项研究，以检查暴露于二恶英的公民的基因表达水平，这些公民曾/仍居住在越南一个高度二恶英污染地区附近。采集了在岘港空军基地附近的公民和居住在未喷洒地区的对照个体的全血。使用二恶英反应性化学激活荧光素酶基因表达生物测定法分析血清中二恶英的水平。通过定量实时 PCR 检查全血中 Ahr、白细胞介素 (IL)-1β、TNFα、IL-6 和 IL-22 的基因表达。结果表明，二恶英水平以及 Ahr、IL-1β、TNFα 和 IL-6 的表达上调，而 IL-22 的表达下调。还检查了研究对象的各种疾病发病率。有趣的是，与越南普通人群中这种疾病的估计患病率相比，这些个体的类风湿关节炎 (RA) 发病率增加。分析还表明，Ahr 的表达水平与接触二恶英人群中 IL-6 和 IL-22 的表达水平相关。总之，二恶英可能参与 Ahr 的上调表达，这可能与炎症细胞因子水平的变化有关，最终与居住在越南的受污染地区附近的居民中某些疾病的发病率有关。
