EFFECTS OF THE BACTERIAL EXTRACT OM-85 ON PHAGOCYTE FUNCTIONS AND THE STRESS-RESPONSE

The effects of the bacterial extract OM-85 on the respiratory burst, intracellular calcium and the stress response have been investigated in human peripheral blood monocytes from normal donors. Activation of the respiratory burst during bacterial phagocytosis has been previously associated with heat shock/stress proteins synthesis. Whereas OM-85 stimulated superoxide production and increased Ca2+ mobilization, it failed to induce synthesis of classical HSPs. The lack of stress protein induction was observed even in the presence of iron which potentiates both oxidative injury and stress protein induction during bacterial phagocytosis. However OM-85 induced a 71-78 kDa protein, which is likely to be a glucose regulated protein (GRP78), and enhanced intracellular expression of interleukin-1 beta precursor.