Resistance of human tracheal epithelial cells to killing by neutrophils, neutrophil elastase, and Pseudomonas elastase.

The airway disease of cystic fibrosis (CF) is characterized by massive polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) infiltration and the presence of variable but substantial quantities of uninhibited elastases derived from both PMNs and the common infecting organism Pseudomonas aeruginosa. In order to determine whether these agents inflict fatal injury on the airway epithelium, we exposed primary cultures of human tracheal epithelial (HTE) cells to activated PMNs, PMN elastase (PMNE), and elastase from P. aeruginosa (PSE) and monitored cytotoxicity by 51Cr release assay. Activated PMNs did not kill HTE cells, and fewer than 2% of the added PMNs adhered to the HTE cell layer. Pretreatment of HTE cells with lipopolysaccharide, incubation of PMNs with cytochalasin B, or increasing the incubation period to 8 h did not increase PMN adherence or target cell killing. However, poor PMN adherence was not by itself responsible for lack of cytotoxicity, since PMNs were not cytotoxic for 9HTEo- cells, a HTE cell line to which PMNs adhere in large numbers. Purified PMNE, but not exogenous H2O2, caused a small but significant increase in cytotoxicity after 6 h of incubation, but only at the highest concentrations tested (10 and 50 micrograms/ml). The PMNE remained fully active throughout the incubation period. Some detachment of the cell layer occurred after 4 h of incubation with 10 micrograms/ml PMNE. PSE at concentrations > 1 micrograms/ml also caused slight cytotoxicity and removal of the cell layer from the culture substratum. Ultrastructural studies showed only minor cytoplasmic vacuole formation. We conclude that cultured HTE cells are resistant to cytolysis by PMNs and elastases.