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Robin W. Freeburn, Lynne Armstrong, Ann B. Millar
European Cytokine Network, Vol.16, No.1, pp. 5-16, 2005
Abstract Regulation of the pulmonary host defence mechanism is crucial for protection of the lung without pathological consequences. This is exemplified in the normal lung by the induction of both the pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-α, its receptors and the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 by bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS). We have evaluated this mechanism in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Alveolar macrophages (AM) were obtained by bronchoalveolar lavage from 21 subjects with IPF and 12 healthy volunteers. Constitutive and LPS-stimulated AM production of TNF-α, TNF soluble receptors CD120a and CD120b, and IL-10 at the protein and mRNA level were… More >

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Irena Fonda¹, Mojca Pernuš², Vladka Gaberc-Porekar¹, Maja Kenig², Anton Štalc², Anthony Meager³, Viktor Menart^1,2
European Cytokine Network, Vol.16, No.1, pp. 17-26, 2005
Abstract Analysis of published data reveals that the introduction of more basic amino acid residues in the flexible N-terminal region of the human tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF) molecule indicates a weak but consistent trend towards increased in vitro cytotoxicity, especially when the effect of N-terminal length is taken into account. In our laboratory, a series of TNF analogues with a charge modification in the tip region of the molecule was prepared, and cytotoxicity measured. Similar trends in cytotoxicity with increasing basicity of the TNF analogue were found in this study for two mouse cell lines,… More >

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Othmar Ludwiczek¹, Arthur Kaser¹, Daniela Novick², Charles A. Dinarello³, Menachem Rubinstein², Herbert Tilg^1,4
European Cytokine Network, Vol.16, No.1, pp. 27-33, 2005
Abstract Objectives. Interleukin 18 (IL-18) is a proinflammatory cytokine and a member of the IL-1 family. Animal models and investigations in humans point to an important role for this cytokine in inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). IL-18 binding protein (IL-18BP) is a naturally occurring antagonist of IL-18. Methods. In this study, we measured IL-18 and IL-18BP plasma concentrations and spontaneous release in cultures of colonic explants from healthy subjects (n = 41), patients with Crohn’s disease (CD, n = 135), and patients with ulcerative colitis (UC, n = 93). Results. Both CD and UC patients had higher… More >

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J. Alonso Fernández¹, Lorena Tapia¹, M. Angélica Palomino², Carmen Larrañaga¹, Mónica Peña¹, Héctor Jaramillo³
European Cytokine Network, Vol.16, No.1, pp. 35-40, 2005
Abstract Adenovirus (ADV) and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) are etiological agents of acute respiratory tract infection in infants. Long-term prognosis of ADV infection includes severe lung damage, bronchiectasis and hyperlucent lung, while RSV infection is associated with development of recurrent wheezing and subsequent asthma. These differences may be related to differences in the primary immune responses elicited by these viruses. In this paper, we investigated the type of cytokine responses and the magnitude of immune activation in ADV and RSV infections in infants. We examined plasma concentrations of interferon-c (IFN-c), interleukin-10 (IL-10), soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sCD25)… More >

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Joanna Gora-Tybor, Jerzy Z. Blonski, Tadeusz Robak
European Cytokine Network, Vol.16, No.1, pp. 41-46, 2005
Abstract The vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) transduction pathway may be very active in B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) cells and contributes to their enhanced survival. Vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-1 (VEGFR-1) and receptor-2 (VEGFR-2), are the high-affinity VEGF receptors, which play an important role in de novo blood vessel formation and hematopoietic cell development. The aim of our study was to compare the concentration of VEGF, VEGFR-1 and VEGFR-2 in the serum of 83, never-treated B-CLL patients in different stage of disease according to Rai classification, and 20 healthy volunteers. Of all the cytokines only… More >

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Rafael Botella-Estrada¹, Marta Escudero², José E. O’Connor², Eduardo Nagore¹, Bernardo Fenollosa³, Onofre Sanmartín¹, Celia Requena¹, Carlos Guillén¹
European Cytokine Network, Vol.16, No.1, pp. 47-55, 2005
Abstract Background. The differentiation of T cells towards a T helper 1 (Th1) or Th2 phenotype based on their profile of cytokine production, is of great relevance in the regulation of immune responses. We have determined by flow cytometry, the expression of selected Th1 and Th2 cytokines by activated T cells in whole blood samples (WB) from normal donors and from patients with different clinical stages of melanoma in different clinical stages. Methods. WB samples from 6 normal donors and 19 patients with melanoma were activated over 4 hours with PMA + ionomycin in presence or… More >

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Michel Jourdan¹, Karène Mahtouk¹, Jean-luc Veyrune², Guilhem Couderc², Geneviève Fiol², Nicole Redal², Christophe Duperray¹, John De Vos^1,2, Bernard Klein^1,2
European Cytokine Network, Vol.16, No.1, pp. 57-64, 2005
Abstract Primary myeloma cells rapidly apoptose as soon as they are removed from their bone-marrow environment. A likely explanation is that the tumor environment produces survival factors that may counteract a spontaneous activation of pro-apoptotic program. Additional factors may trigger cell cycling in surviving myeloma cells. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a well recognized myeloma cell growth factor produced mainly by the tumor environment. However, myeloma cells themselves may produce low levels of autocrine IL-6. The respective roles of paracrine versus autocrine IL-6 are a matter of debate. We investigated these roles using the XG-6 myeloma cell line… More >

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Sara Pagani, Cristina Meazza, Paola Travaglino, Antonia Moretta, Mauro Bozzola
European Cytokine Network, Vol.16, No.1, pp. 65-69, 2005
Abstract The aim of the present study was to establish whether growth hormone (GH) treatment in vivo affects pro-inflammatory cytokine production by resting or in vitro, activated, cultured, peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from children with complete growth hormone deficiency (GHD). We evaluated 11, pre-pubertal children (6 males and 5 females) with GHD, aged between 6 and 14 years, and 9, age- and sex-matched healthy subjects were studied as controls (CTRLs). Freshly isolated PBMC were cultured for 4 or 24 h in X-VIVO medium in the presence or absence of 0.01 lg/mL lipopolysaccharide for the determination… More >

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Reshma S. Phillips¹, Cyril O. Enwonwu^1,2, William A. Falkler¹
European Cytokine Network, Vol.16, No.1, pp. 70-77, 2005
Abstract Fresh noma is a severe orofacial necrosis with an astonishingly rapid development. It is seen mainly in malnourished children less than 4 years old from developing countries. Cytokines play a central role in oral mucosal inflammation. We therefore studied the relevance of circulating cytokines to noma, and the key microorganisms associated with the lesion. Nigerian village children with acute noma (n=68) and their neighborhood village (n=63) as well as urban (n=45) counterparts of comparable age and free of overt infections were evaluated for serum cytokine levels by ELISA. Oral bacteria were studied by polymerase chain… More >

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Géza Bokodi¹, András Treszl¹, László Derzbach¹, Ádám Balogh¹, Barna Vásárhelyi²
European Cytokine Network, Vol.16, No.1, pp. 78-80, 2005
Abstract Background. High levels of inflammatory cytokines lead to lung damage in premature newborns. We investigated whether single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) of innate immunity cytokine genes influence the length of oxygen supplementation. Methods. We genotyped 123 very low birth weight (VLBW) infants for the tumour necrosis factor (TNF)- α G^-308A, interleukin (IL)-1b C³⁹⁵⁴T, IL-6 G^-174C and IL-10 G^-1082A SNPs. Genomic DNA was isolated from remnant dried blood samples from the neonates. We tested the association between SNPs and ventilation characteristics using a stepwise multiple regression analysis model. Results. The carrier state of the TNF-a G^-308A allele was associated with More >

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J. Alonso Fernández¹, Irmeli Roine², Alicia Vasquez³, Marianella Cáneo²
European Cytokine Network, Vol.16, No.1, pp. 81-90, 2005
Abstract The role of the immune response in the severity of RSV infection was examined by determining plasma concentrations of interferon-γ (IFN-γ), interleukin-10 (IL-10), interleukin-2 receptor (sCD25) and soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor II (sTNFR-II) in 196, previously healthy infants, during acute and convalescence phases of primary RSV infection. The results were analyzed separately for days 1-4 (early) and days 5-7 (late) of symptoms before sample collection and according to disease severity (105 hypoxic, 91 non-hypoxic). Significant associations between plasma levels and severity were found in early samples only. IL-10 and sCD25 concentrations were higher (p=0.01,… More >

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Anastasios J. Karayiannakis¹, Byron Asimakopoulos², Anna Efthimiadou², Alexandra K. Tsaroucha¹, Alexandros Polychronidis¹, Constantinos Simopoulos¹
European Cytokine Network, Vol.16, No.1, pp. 91-96, 2005
Abstract We compared serum leptin responses during and after laparoscopic and open cholecystectomy, and assessed their correlation with the responses of inflammatory cytokines. Serum levels of leptin, interleukin-1a (IL-1α), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-α) were measured by an enzyme-linked immunoassay in 31 patients who underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy and in 24 patients who underwent open cholecystectomy. Serum samples were obtained preoperatively, at 10 and 30 min after the commencement of surgery, and at 6 and 24 h after the operation. The cumulative responses of leptin, IL-1α, IL-6 and TNF-α to surgery were calculated and the… More >

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