Photodynamic Effects with 5-Aminolevulinic Acid on Cytokines and Exosomes in Human Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells from Patients with Crohn's Disease

• Published in: International journal of molecular sciences Vol. 24; no. 5; p. 4554
• Main Authors: Espeland, Kristian, Kleinauskas, Andrius, Juzenas, Petras, Darvekar, Sagar, Vasovic, Vlada, Warloe, Trond, Christensen, Eidi, Jahnsen, Jørgen, Peng, Qian
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Norwegian
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 25.02.2023; MDPI
• Subjects: 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA); Aminolevulinic acid; Aminolevulinic Acid - pharmacology; Apheresis; Apoptosis; Biological products; Biomarkers; Blood; CD19 antigen; CD3 antigen; Cell Line, Tumor; Crohn Disease - drug therapy; Crohn's disease; Crohns disease; cytokine; Cytokines; Endoscopy; Exosomes; extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP); Health services; Humans; Inflammation; Inflammatory bowel disease; Leukocytes, Mononuclear; Lymphocytes; Lymphocytes B; Monocytes; Necrosis; Pathogenesis; Pathogens; Peripheral blood mononuclear cells; peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs); Photochemotherapy - methods; Photodynamic therapy; photodynamic therapy (PDT); Photosensitizing Agents - pharmacology; Protoporphyrin; Protoporphyrin IX; protoporphyrin IX (PpIX); Protoporphyrins; Scientific equipment and supplies industry; Survival; Vascular endothelial growth factor; Norway; Germany; cytokine; peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs); extracorporeal photopheresis (ECP); protoporphyrin IX (PpIX); 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA); flow cytometry; photodynamic therapy (PDT); autoimmune disease; exosome; Crohn’s disease
• ISSN: 1422-0067; 1661-6596; 1422-0067
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms24054554

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) using 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA) which is the precursor of the photosensitizer protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) is an available treatment for several diseases. ALA-PDT induces the apoptosis and necrosis of target lesions. We have recently reported the effects of ALA-PDT on cytokines and exosomes of human healthy peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). This study has investigated the ALA-PDT-mediated effects on PBMC subsets from patients with active Crohn's disease (CD). No effects on lymphocyte survival after ALA-PDT were observed, although the survival of CD3 /CD19 B-cells seemed slightly reduced in some samples. Interestingly, ALA-PDT clearly killed monocytes. The subcellular levels of cytokines and exosomes associated with inflammation were widely downregulated, which is consistent with our previous findings in PBMCs from healthy human subjects. These results suggest that ALA-PDT may be a potential treatment candidate for CD and other immune-mediated diseases.