In vitro suppression of fibroblast growth inhibitory lymphokine production by asbestos.

Human peripheral blood mononuclear leucocytes (PBML) stimulated with concanavalin A (Con A) or phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) produced a soluble factor which inhibits lung fibroblast DNA synthesis and growth. Lymphocyte enriched preparations produced significant growth inhibitory activity in the presence of PHA whereas media from adherent mononuclear cells incubated in the presence of the mitogen did not contain similar activity. This fibroblast growth inhibitory factor (FGIF) was non-dialysable, heat stable and resistant to pH 5. FGIF was also resistant to treatment with chymotrypsin and phosphodiesterase but partially sensitive to treatment with trypsin. Interestingly, there was significant suppression of FGIF production by PBML cultured with PHA in the presence of low concentrations of chrysotile asbestos (5-25 micrograms/ml). In this regard, asbestos (25 micrograms/ml) was not cytotoxic for lymphocytes but had a damaging effect on monocytes as evidenced by the release of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) a cytoplasmic enzyme, in their culture media. These findings indicate that stimulated lymphocytes have the ability to inhibit fibroblast proliferation by releasing FGIF and that asbestos interfere with this process. Thus, while FGIF may regulate the extent of connective tissue proliferation during normal repair process, suppression of its production by asbestos may contribute to excessive fibroblast accumulation and fibrosis.