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Hanna Suchanek¹, Jolanta Mys´liwska¹, Janusz Siebert², Joanna WiVckiewicz¹, Łukasz Hak¹, Krzysztof Szyndler³, Dorota Kartanowicz⁴
European Cytokine Network, Vol.16, No.3, pp. 177-185, 2005
Abstract Aims. The aim of our study was to analyse the serum level of interleukin 18 (IL-18) in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM), and to relate this to clinical findings. Methods. The IL-18 level was measured by ELISA in serum samples from 130 CAD patients prior to their first, elective, coronary artery bypass surgery. Forty-three of them had been diabetic for several years. A control group consisted of 31 healthy people matched according to age, BMI, lipid and smoking status. Results. The CAD patients with DM were similar to the… More >

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Agostino Pugliese¹, Valerio Vidotto¹, Tiziana Beltramo¹, Donato Torre²
European Cytokine Network, Vol.16, No.3, pp. 186-190, 2005
Abstract Interleukin (IL)-18 is a proinflammatory cytokine that plays an important role in both innate and adaptive immune responses against several infectious pathogens. Relatively little is known about its production in HIV-1 infection, and there are controversial data on the influence of IL-18 on HIV-1 replication in vitro. In this study, we investigated the effect of HIV-1 infection, and challenge with recombinant HIV-1 proteins, on IL-18 production by THP-1 cells. This is a monocytoid cell line spontaneously producing IL-18, and consequently is particularly suitable for the study of HIV-1 effects on this type of cytokine regulation.… More >

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Mirrin J. Dorresteijn^1,2,*, Peter Pickkers^1,2,*, Mihai G. Netea^3,4, Johannes G. Van der Hoeven^1,4
European Cytokine Network, Vol.16, No.3, pp. 191-193, 2005
Abstract Endotoxin administration to animals and humans is an accepted experimental model of Gramnegative sepsis, and endotoxin is believed to play a major role in triggering the activation of cytokines. In septic patients, the IL-12/IL-18/IFN-γ axis is activated and correlates with mortality. Our aim was to investigate the effects of endotoxin administration in humans on the activation of the IL-12/IL-18/IFN-γ axis. Seven healthy volunteers received E. coli endotoxin (O:113). Hemodynamics, temperature and the course of plasma concentrations of TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-12, IL-18 and IFN-γ were determined. Endotoxin administration resulted in the expected flu-like symptoms, a temperature of… More >

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Nachum Vaisman¹, Yahalomit Zaruk¹, Idit Shirazi¹, Nechemia Kaysar², Vivian Barak³
European Cytokine Network, Vol.16, No.3, pp. 194-198, 2005
Abstract The ex vivo production of inflammatory cytokines during fish oil supplementation (n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, n-3 PUFA) is a matter of considerable controversy. Studies on human subjects have generally reported decreased lymphocyte proliferation and decreased production of IL-2, interferon-γ, IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α, but other studies showed no effect or even increased production. There are no published reports on ex vivo cytokine production in children on long-term, n-3 PUFA supplementation. The current double-blind study explored cytokine production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), with and without lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation in children on 12 weeks’ supplementation with 300… More >

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Ettore Capoluongo^1,4, Giovanni Vento², Concetta Santonocito¹, Piero Giuseppe Matassa², Cinzia Vaccarella³, Bruno Giardina¹, Costantino Romagnoli², Cecilia Zuppi^1,4, Franco Ameglio^1,3
European Cytokine Network, Vol.16, No.3, pp. 199-205, 2005
Abstract Objective. The severity of pulmonary dysfunction and subsequent development of chronic lung disease (CLD) in preterm neonates depends on several factors, among them oxygen administration. The aim of this report is to compare the effects of high-frequency, oscillatory ventilation (HFOV) versus synchronized, intermittent, mandatory ventilation (sIMV) on serum cytokine levels (IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, MCP-1, PDGF-BB, VEGF and TGF-beta1) and ventilator indices during the first week of life. Moreover, CLD development and several other outcomes were compared between the two groups. Design. Randomized clinical trial. Setting. Third level NICU. Patients. 40 preterm neonates with a gestational… More >

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Irmeli Roine¹, J. Alonso Fernandez², Alicia Vásquez¹, Marianella Cáneo³
European Cytokine Network, Vol.16, No.3, pp. 206-210, 2005
Abstract In epidemiological studies of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) disease, breast milk has proven to be beneficial. However, a host mechanism that is associated with both disease severity and that is capable of being modulated by breast milk, has not yet been identified. Both the predominance of interleukin-10 (IL-10) over interferon-c (IFN-γ), and high soluble interleukin-2 receptor antagonist (sCD25) concentrations have been associated with RSV severity. We explored if they were modulated by breastfeeding. Previously healthy Chilean infants from Santiago with RSV infection (n = 349) were consecutively enrolled in the study if they were term… More >

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Irmeli Roine¹, J. Alonso Fernandez², Alicia Vásquez¹, Marianella Cáneo³
European Cytokine Network, Vol.16, No.3, pp. 211-214, 2005
Abstract Introduction. High-normal blood pressure (HNBP) seems to be related to increased cardiovascular risk in healthy, normotensive subjects, while essential hypertension is associated with an increase in extracellular matrix content, especially fibrillar collagen type I. The aim of our study was to investigate whether collagen degradation is altered in healthy normotensives with HNBP, and whether this alteration could be related to disturbances in the matrix metalloproteinases plasma concentration, and to compare the findings to those of healthy normotensives with normal blood pressure (NBP) levels, matched for age, sex and BMI. Methods. Twenty six (14 males, 12… More >

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Nicolai Grebenchtchikov¹, Johanna van der Ven-Jongekrijg², Gerard J. Pesman¹, Anneke Geurts-Moespot¹, Jos W. M. van der Meer², Fred C. G. J. Sweep¹
European Cytokine Network, Vol.16, No.3, pp. 215-222, 2005
Abstract Despite the availability of many assays to measure concentrations of tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) in body fluids, these assays often lack specificity or sensitivity and are often of questionable reliability, resulting in inconsistent results. Therefore, we have developed an ELISA that is sensitive, reliable and not susceptible to disturbances by interfering substances such as heterophilic antibodies. The assay involves a combination of four polyclonal antibodies. The antibodies, which capture the analyte, were raised in chicken and the trapping anti-analyte antibodies were raised in rabbit. The immobilization of capture antibodies was achieved via a coating… More >

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Rassa Pegahi, Florent Poyer, Elisabeth Legrand, Lionel Cazin, Jean-Pierre Vannier, Marek Lamacz
European Cytokine Network, Vol.16, No.3, pp. 223-232, 2005
Abstract The present work focused on the study of the secretory activity of pre-B acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) cells harvested from bone marrow (BM) and peripheral blood (PB) in 16 children. The basal and cytokine (SDF-1, GM-CSF, bFGF, VEGF)-stimulated secretions of gelatinases 2 and 9 (MMPs-2 and -9) and expression of their genes were monitored by zymography and RT-PCR, respectively. A wide heterogeneity was found in the secretory capacities of these cells. The basal secretion of MMP-9 was more frequently observed than that of MMP-2 in both cell types. The cytokines VEGF and bFGF were found… More >

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Lionel F. Poulin¹, Claude Habran¹, Patrick Stordeur¹, Michel Goldman¹, Andrew McKenzie², Jacques Van Snick³, Jean-Christophe Renauld³, Michel Y. Braun¹
European Cytokine Network, Vol.16, No.3, pp. 233-239, 2005
Abstract We recently showed that interleukin-9 (IL-9), a Th2 cytokine, promotes IL-5-mediated rejection of allografts in mice. This observation led us to investigate the functional link between IL-9 and IL-5 production during alloreactive T cell responses in vitro and in vivo. Firstly, we found that IL-9 was produced by alloreactive Th2 cells, and IL-9 mRNA was detected in skin allograft during Th2-type rejection. We then established that IL-5 production was impaired in alloreactive Th2 cells isolated from IL-9-deficient mice and that optimal IL-5 production after allogeneic stimulation requires a functional IL-9 receptor (IL-9R) on the responding More >

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Cyril O. Enwonwu^1,2, Reshma S. Phillips¹, Kofo O. Savage³
European Cytokine Network, Vol.16, No.3, pp. 240-248, 2005
Abstract Necrotizing ulcerative gingivitis (NUG), a periodontal disease traditionally associated with stressful lifestyles in young adults in developed countries, is very prevalent in socioeconomically deprived Nigerian children. Random incident cases (153) of NUG, along with their neighborhood village counterparts of comparable age and without NUG, as control, were recruited for this study. Anthropometric evaluation revealed widespread malnutrition and poor health in both groups of children, with more severe stunting in NUG cases. The poor nutritional status of the village children, with and without NUG, was also confirmed by markedly reduced levels of circulating micronutrients. Compared with… More >

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