Open Access

REVIEW

Markus Hansson¹, Ying Gao¹, Hanna Rosén¹, Hans Tapper², Inge Olsson¹
European Cytokine Network, Vol.15, No.3, pp. 167-176, 2004
Abstract Cytokines play an important role in the regulation of homeostasis and inflammation. A de-regulated cytokine function can subsequently promote chronic inflammation. This is supported by clinical evidence showing the beneficial effect of inhibiting TNF-α through injection of antibodies and soluble receptor in disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn’s disease. Systemic anti-TNF-α therapy however is associated with infectious complications. We therefore suggest a concept for the local deposition of therapeutically active agents into areas of inflammation or malignancy, based on the use of hematopoietic storage and secretory granules as delivery vehicles. Hematopoietic cells are induced… More >

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ARTICLE

Jean-Jacques Lataillade¹, Jorge Domenech², Marie-Caroline Le Bousse-Kerdilès³
European Cytokine Network, Vol.15, No.3, pp. 177-188, 2004
Abstract Generation of haematopoietic cells is regulated by cellular and humoral interactions in which stromal cells, adhesion molecules, cytokines and chemokines play a crucial role. Among the chemokines, SDF-1 and its CXCR4 receptor have been reported to be key players in the nesting of haematopoietic progenitors within the bone marrow. Disruption of the SDF-1/CXCR4 axis results in cell mobilization and may participate in leukaemia extramedullary infiltration. In this review we will discuss the manifold roles of the SDF-1 chemokine and of its receptor in haematopoiesis regulation. By recruiting quiescent progenitors, by participating in their survival/cycling and More >

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ARTICLE

Michael Ramharter^1,2,3, Peter G. Kremsner^2,3, Martin Willheim⁴, Heidi Winkler^1,3, Wolfgang Graninger¹, Stefan Winkler^1,3
European Cytokine Network, Vol.15, No.3, pp. 189-196, 2004
Abstract The frequency of P. falciparum-specific interleukin (IL)-2-, interferon (IFN)-γ-, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α- and IL-10-expressing CD3⁺ cells was studied in healthy Gabonese children segregated according to their clinical presentation at admission to a longitudinal study of severe and mild malaria. The percentage of IL-2- and TNF-α- expressing P. falciparum-specific CD3⁺ cells was significantly higher in the children with prior mild malaria and less frequent reinfections compared to the children with prior severe malaria and more frequent reinfections. No differences were shown for P. falciparum-specific IFN-γ and IL-10 expression within CD3⁺ cells and parasite-non-specific expression of IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-13, More >

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ARTICLE

Clara de Andrés¹, M. Carmen Rodríguez-Sáinz, M. Angeles Muñoz-Fernández, Nieves López-Lazareno², Margarita Rodríguez-Mahou, Angeles Vicente³, Eduardo Fernández-Cruz, Silvia Sánchez-Ramón
European Cytokine Network, Vol.15, No.3, pp. 197-202, 2004
Abstract Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an immune-mediated disease with a clear sex-bias that may be attributed to sex hormones, sex’ linked genes or both. Here we sought to determine the evolution pattern of cortisol and sex hormones at MS relapse and 2-months later in 7 male patients with relapsing remitting MS, and whether there was a correlation with a specific Th1 and Th2 cytokine pattern. Our findings indicate the activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and the concomitant upregulation of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines during relapse. The further increase of sex hormones, in particular estradiol in our More >

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ARTICLE

Vivian Barak¹, Inna Kalickman¹, Tal Halperin¹, Shlomo Birkenfeld¹, Isaac Ginsburg²
European Cytokine Network, Vol.15, No.3, pp. 203-209, 2004
Abstract Background: Previous studies have shown that PADMA-28, a multicomponent, traditional Tibetan herbal plant preparation possesses a variety of beneficial effects on several experimental models of inflammatory and immune processes, including autoimmune diabetes and autoimmune encephalomyelitis. In humans, PADMA-28 attenuated the symptoms associated with intermittent claudications in atherosclerotic patients. Objective: To assess the effect of PADMA 28 on the immune system, e.g. cytokine (interleukins) production. Design: Cytokine production by human blood monocytes (derived from12 healthy donors) stimulated in vitro, either by endotoxin (LPS) from Salmonella typhi or by lipoteichoic acid (LTA) from group A Streptococci was… More >

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ARTICLE

Arjen Companjen, Leontine van der Wel¹, Leslie van der Fits¹, Jon Laman, Errol Prens
European Cytokine Network, Vol.15, No.3, pp. 210-216, 2004
Abstract Psoriasis is a T cell-mediated inflammatory skin disease characterized by an elevated IFN-γ and IL-12p70 expression in skin lesions. Interleukin-18 (IL-18) synergizes with IL-12 to induce IFN-γ production and a strong T-helper-1-mediated immune response, or to induce Th2 polarization depending on the immunological context. We have previously shown that keratinocytes in normal skin produce and store large amounts of pro-IL-18. In this study, we hypothesized that the expression of IL-18 in psoriatic lesional skin might be altered compared to normal skin. Therefore, IL-18 expression was assessed in psoriatic, stable, plaque-type lesions and early active and More >

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ARTICLE

George Fildissis, Kyriaki Venetsanou, Pavlos Myrianthefs, Stylianos Karatzas, Vasilios Zidianakis, George Baltopoulos
European Cytokine Network, Vol.15, No.3, pp. 217-221, 2004
Abstract Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) is a therapeutic intervention with applications in a large variety of diseases, including traumatic injuries and acute or chronic infections. The presence of pro-inflammatory cytokines regulates certain factors including adhesion molecules, which play a significant role in HBO effects.
We have investigated the effect of HBO on pro-inflammatory cytokine release [tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin 6 and 8 (IL-6 and IL-8)], and the regulation of adhesion molecules [soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) and soluble vascular adhesion molecule (sVCAM)] after lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation in 16 healthy individuals, originating from an urban area. A total… More >

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ARTICLE

Ewa Robak¹, Piotr Smolewski², Anna Wozniacka¹, Anna Sysa-Jedrzejowska¹, Henryk Stepień³, Tadeusz Robak²
European Cytokine Network, Vol.15, No.3, pp. 222-230, 2004
Abstract Recent studies indicate that dendritic cells (DC) and several cytokines are implicated in the induction of autoimmune diseases. In this study we investigated the relationship between the total number of DC (tDC), and their plasmacytoid (pDC) and myeloid (mDC) subpopulations, with serum concentrations of interferons (IFN-α and IFN-γ) and selected cytokines (TNF-α, IL-4, IL-6), in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and healthy persons. Subpopulations of DC were determined by the following antigen expression profiles: BDCA-1+/CD11c+/HLA-DR+ (for mDC) and BDCA-2 +/CD123+/HLA-DR+ (for pDC), using flow cytometry. Serum levels of interferons and cytokines were assessed by… More >

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ARTICLE

Dimitrios Tziakas¹, Georgios Chalikias¹, John T. Parissis², Helen Hatzinikolaou¹, Dimitrios Stakos¹, Evropi Papadopoulou³, Alexandros Kortsaris³, Dimitrios Hatseras¹
European Cytokine Network, Vol.15, No.3, pp. 231-239, 2004
Abstract Introduction. Recent clinical and experimental studies indicate that upregulation of the TNF system can contribute to the progression of cardiac remodeling and heart failure decompensation, by promoting alterations in cardiomyocyte biology and extracellular matrix metabolism. Extracellular matrix turnover is regulated by the matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), which are endogenous enzymes responsible for extracellular collagen degradation. The present study investigates the fluctuation of serum levels of TNF-α, soluble TNF receptor-1 (sTNFR1) and -2 (sTNFR2), in patients with chronic heart failure both during acute decompensation and the stable state of the syndrome. The second goal of this study… More >

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Yan Lin, Qin Ya-Li, Bei Wei-Cheng, Yu Xiao-Lan, Huang Hong-Liang, Chen Huan-Chun^*
European Cytokine Network, Vol.15, No.3, pp. 240-246, 2004
Abstract Interleukin-2 and interleukin-6 can stimulate the growth and proliferation of T lymphocytes and the differentiation of activated B lymphocytes respectively, and in turn enhance cellular and humoral immune responses. In this work, an expression clone using Pichia pastoris, a methylotrophic yeast strain, has been developed in order to produce large amounts of the functional recombinant fusion protein pIL-6-IL-2, which contains the mature porcine interleukin-6 peptide and the mature porcine interleukin-2 peptide. Two components of the fusion protein were connected by means of a flexible linker (Gly-Gly-Gly-Gly-Ser-Glu-Phe-Gly-Ser-Gly-Gly). In response to 1% methanol induction, the recombinant strain… More >

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ARTICLE

Diana Bugarski, Aleksandra Krstić, Marija Vlaški, Marijana Petakov, Gordana Jovčić, Nevenka Stojanović, Pavel Milenkovic
European Cytokine Network, Vol.15, No.3, pp. 247-254, 2004
Abstract Recent studies have shown that the T cell-derived cytokine, interleukin-17 (IL-17), stimulates hematopoiesis, specifically granulopoiesis inducing expansion of committed and immature progenitors in bone marrow. Our previous results pointed to its role in erythropoiesis too, demonstrating significant stimulation of BFU-E and suppression of CFU-E growth in the bone marrow from normal mice. As different sensitivities of erythroid and myeloid progenitor cells to nitric oxide (NO) were found, we considered the possibility that the observed effects of IL-17 were mediated by NO. The effects of recombinant mouse IL-17, NO donor (sodium nitroprusside - SNP) and two… More >

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ARTICLE

Isabelle Cognet¹, Florence Guilhot¹, Sylvie Chevalier², Angélique Guay-Giroux¹, Alexandra Bert¹, Greg C. A. Elson³, Hugues Gascan², Jean-François Gauchat¹
European Cytokine Network, Vol.15, No.3, pp. 255-262, 2004
Abstract Ciliary neurotrophic factor (CNTF) is a neuroprotective cytokine initially identified in chick embryo. It has been evaluated for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. CNTF also acts on non-neuronal cells such as oligodendrocytes, astrocytes, adipocytes and skeletal muscles cells. CNTF has regulatory effects on body weight and is currently in clinical trial for the treatment of diabetes and obesity. CNTF mediates its function by activating a tripartite receptor comprising the CNTF receptor α chain (CNTFRα), the leukemia inhibitory factor receptor β chain (LIFRβ) and gp130. Human, rat and chicken CNTF have been expressed as recombinant proteins,… More >

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ARTICLE

Eva Villamón¹, Daniel Gozalbo¹, Patricia Roig¹, Celia Murciano¹, José Enrique O’Connor², Didier Fradelizi³, M. Luisa Gil¹
European Cytokine Network, Vol.15, No.3, pp. 263-271, 2004
Abstract We have studied the role of myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88), the universal Toll-like receptor (TLR) adaptor protein, in murine defenses against We have studied the role of myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88), the universal Toll-like receptor (TLR) adaptor protein, in murine defenses against Candida albicans. MyD88-deficient mice, experimen-tally infected in vivo, had a very significant impaired survival, and a higher tissue fungal burden when compared with control mice. The recruitment of neutrophils to the site of infection was also significantly diminished in MyD88^-/- mice. In vitro production of proinflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α, IFN-γ and… More >

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ERRATUM

European Cytokine Network, Vol.15, No.3, pp. 272-272, 2004
Abstract This article has no abstract. More >

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