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Zoran Ivanovic^{1, 2}
European Cytokine Network, Vol.15, No.1, pp. 6-13, 2004
Abstract Although the utilization of IL-3 in the ex vivo expansion of hematopoietic stem cells has been considered as an attractive possibility, its mode of action remains unclear and controversial. Some reports show that IL-3 maintains or even enhances primitive stem cell activity, whereas others show the opposite. The presence of serum in culture media enhances the pro-differentiating effect of IL-3 on stem cells. Conversely, addition of IL-3 to serum-free cultures improves the capacity of TPO, SCF and Flt3-ligand to promote the self-renewal of primitive stem cells. The presence or absence of serum or of some serum More >

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ARTICLE

Philipp Röntgen¹, Armin Sablotzki^1,2, Andreas Simm¹, Rolf-Edgar Silber¹, Elke Czeslick^1,2
European Cytokine Network, Vol.15, No.1, pp. 14-23, 2004
Abstract Proinflammatory cytokines produced by monocytes, like Interleukin-6 (IL-6), Interleukin-8 (IL-8), and tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α) are known for their pivotal role in the initiation of the inflammatory response following cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). Catecholamines like epinephrine (Epi) and norepinephrine (Nor) are often necessary to stabilize the cardiac function in the early postoperative period and may influence the cytokine expression in monocytes.
In this study we investigated the effects of Epi and Nor on IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α expression in human monocytes stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) in whole blood, analyzed intracellularly by flow cytometry. Kinetics of intracellular proinflammatory… More >

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ARTICLE

Francesca Bagnato¹, Alessandro Clemenzi¹, Carolina Scagnolari², Luigi Strizzi³, Antonella Di Pasquale¹, Francesca Bellomi², Paola Di Marco², Guido Antonelli², Giovanni Antonini¹
European Cytokine Network, Vol.15, No.1, pp. 24-29, 2004
Abstract Anti-cytokine antibodies (Abs) play an important role in the regulation of the immune response, both under normal conditions and in several autoimmune and neoplastic disorders. In the present study, we have investigated the occurrence and the clinical significance of natural neutralizing Abs (NAbs) against interferons (IFNs) alpha (α), beta (β) and gamma (γ), as detected by bioassay, in 52 patients with myasthenia gravis (MG), and 43 sex- and age-matched healthy individuals. Patients showing titres ≥ 1.3 Log t_1/10, confirmed in 2 consecutive samples collected two months apart, were considered positive. NAbs against any of the IFNs More >

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ARTICLE

Mahmoud Huleihel^1,4, Alaa Amash^1,3, Olga Sapir^2,3, Ester Maor⁴, Sharon Levy^1,3, Miriam Katz^2,3, Doron Dukler^2,4, Lesly Myatt⁵, Gershon Holcberg^2,3
European Cytokine Network, Vol.15, No.1, pp. 30-36, 2004
Abstract The aim of the study was to investigate the stimulatory effect of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on IL-1α production in different compartments of term and preterm placental tissues. Homogenates from amnion, chorion, and from fetal (subchorionic placental tissues, maternal decidua, and mid-placental tissue before and after perfusion of isolated placental cotyledons of 5 term placentas and 4 placentas obtained after preterm birth (28-34 W of gestation) were examined. Isolated placental cotyledons were dually perfused LPS (100 ng/kg perfused placental tissue) was perfused into the maternal side during 10 hours. Homogenates of the samples were examined by ELISA… More >

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ARTICLE

Moshe Hacham¹, Rosalyn M. White¹, Shmuel Argov², Shraga Segal¹, Ron N. Apte¹
European Cytokine Network, Vol.15, No.1, pp. 37-46, 2004
Abstract . Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a pleiotropic inflammatory cytokine, also endowed with inflammation-inhibiting properties. The status of interleukin-10 (IL-10) as an anti-inflammatory cytokine is more solidly established. The roles of IL-6 and IL-10 in the context of organ physiology, and their possible modulation by the aging process, are not satisfactorily understood. The purpose of this work was to characterize organ IL-6 and IL-10 expression in different cellular compartments in mice, under steady-state and stress conditions. The former was evaluated by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) analyses of organ lysates (LYS) (addressing the intracellular compartment),… More >

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ARTICLE

Johan Saldeen, Nils Welsh
European Cytokine Network, Vol.15, No.1, pp. 47-52, 2004
Abstract The signaling pathways mediating nitric oxide production and apoptosis in pancreatic β-cells are incompletely characterized. We report here that the inhibitor of p38 MAPK (p38), SB203580 (10-100 µM) inhibits interleukin-1β (IL-1β)-induced nitric oxide production in rat insulin-producing RINm5F cells. SB203580 also counteracts apoptosis induced by a combination of IL-1β and interferon-γ. However, the contribution by p38 to the induction of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and apoptosis is independent of NF-κB nuclear translocation since SB203580 does not prevent IL-1β-induced DNA-binding of this transcription factor. Further-more, SB203580 alone leads to phosphorylation of JNK2 which may reflect More >

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ARTICLE

Krisztina Buzás¹, Klára Megyeri¹, Márta Hõgye², Miklós Csanády², Gábor Bogáts², Yvette Mándi¹
European Cytokine Network, Vol.15, No.1, pp. 53-59, 2004
Abstract Aims. In order to gain more insight into the pathogenesis of dilated and hypertrophic cardiomyo-pathies (DCM and HCM, respectively), we investigated the roles of certain cytokines that regulate apoptosis. Methods and results. ELISA tests, performed to determine the plasma concentrations of tumour necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), the soluble Fas (sFas), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and the soluble IL-6 receptor (sIL-6R), revealed that DCM patients exhibit elevated concentrations of TNF-α, sFas, IL-6 and sIL-6R, while HCM patients have only high IL-6 and sIL-6R levels as compared with healthy individuals. Western blot analysis of the levels of TNF-α, IL-6, Bcl-2… More >

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Marta Fogeda, Luis Gallart, Cristina Gutiérrez, Joan Vendrell, Inmaculada Simón, Antonio García-España, Cristóbal Richart
European Cytokine Network, Vol.15, No.1, pp. 60-66, 2004
Abstract The tumor necrosis factor system plays an important role in the pathogenesis of obesity and type 2 diabetes (DM), by a complex and only partially understood mechanism. In this study we analyze the mRNA expression levels of TNFα and its receptors (TNFR1 and TNFR2), in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from eleven, non-morbid, obese and 14, obese, type 2 DM women, by real-time quantitative PCR. We show an increase in the TNFR2 to TNFR1 ratio (mTNFR2/mTNFR1) in type 2 DM (r = 0.63; p = 0.021, after adjusting for age). Likewise, a positive correlation between… More >

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ARTICLE

Leea Keski-Nisula^1,2, Maija-Riitta Hirvonen¹, Marjut Roponen¹, Seppo Heinonen², Juha Pekkanen¹
European Cytokine Network, Vol.15, No.1, pp. 67-72, 2004
Abstract Objective. To study the production and interrelations of maternal and neonatal cytokines (IL-6 and TNF-alpha) during labor, after vaginal delivery and at three months after delivery. Method. The unstimulated concentrations of cytokines in the supernatants of whole-blood cultures and concentrations after PMA (phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate) and concanavalin (conA) stimulation were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs). The blood samples were from the peripheral veins of 27 healthy women during term labor and immediately after delivery and three months after delivery. Neonatal samples were taken at birth (cord blood) and three months after delivery. Results. IL-6… More >

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CORRECTIONS

European Cytokine Network, Vol.15, No.1, pp. 73-73, 2004
Abstract This article has no abstract. More >

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