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ARTICLE

Susanne Schulz^1,2, Undraga Schagdarsurengin¹, Dirk Rehfeld^1,2, Thomas Süß^1,2, Karl Werdan², Ursula Müller-Werdan², Christiane Gläser¹
European Cytokine Network, Vol.17, No.3, pp. 148-154, 2006, DOI:10.1684/ecn.2006.0031
Abstract Background. Inflammatory processes are considered to play an important role in the development of coronary atherosclerosis. The proinflammatory cytokine, tumor necrosis factor b (TNF-β), is thought to contribute to the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. Study design. In this clinical study, the influence of genetic variants of TNF-β (c.7G>A, IVS1+90G>A, C13R, T60N) on major coronary risk factors, including gender, smoking, history of cardiovascular diseases, biochemical data (inflammatory markers, factors of lipid metabolism, coagulation/fibrinolysis balance), and angiographically-proven coronary state, was investigated in 176 European Caucasian probands (130 males, mean age: 51.9 ± 8.9 y). Results. The most frequent… More >

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ARTICLE

Ahmed M. Abu El-Asrar¹, Sofie Struyf², Dustan Kangave³, Karel Geboes⁴, Jo Van Damme²
European Cytokine Network, Vol.17, No.3, pp. 155-165, 2006, DOI:10.1684/ecn.2006.0033
Abstract Purpose. To determine levels of the chemokines CCL1/I-309, CCL2/MCP-1, CCL3/MIP-1α, CCL4/MIP-1β, CCL7/MCP-3, CCL8/MCP-2, CXCL5/ENA-78, CXCL6/GCP-2, CXCL10/IP-10, and CXCL11/I-TAC in the vitreous humor and serum, from patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR), proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR), and rhegmatogenous retinal detachment with no PVR (RD), and to investigate the expression of MCP-1, CXCL12/SDF-1, and the chemokine receptor CXCR3 in epiretinal membranes. Methods. Paired vitreous humor and serum samples were obtained from patients undergoing vitrectomy for the treatment of RD (57 specimens), PVR (32 specimens), and PDR (88 specimens). The levels of chemokines were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays.… More >

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ARTICLE

Ettore Capoluongo¹, Dario Pitocco², Concetta Santonocito¹, Paola Concolino^1,3, Stefano Angelo Santini^1,3, Andrea Manto², Paola Lulli¹, Giovanni Ghirlanda², Cecilia Zuppi¹, Franco Ameglio¹
European Cytokine Network, Vol.17, No.3, pp. 164-174, 2006, DOI:10.1684/ecn.2006.0036
Abstract Background. Patients with type 1 diabetes (T1DM) present lower serum free IGF and IGFBP-3 values than healthy people. T1DM patients often present with associated autoimmune diseases such as thyroiditis or coeliac disease, and over time they frequently develop proliferative retinopathy, neuropathy or nephropathy in different combinations. Objective. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of two associated autoimmune diseases or three diabetic complications on the serum free IGF-I or IGFBP-3 levels in T1DM patients, who also have a family history of T1DM. Design. 246 T1DM patients were enrolled, and then subdivided into… More >

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ARTICLE

Yvonne Kalmbach^1,2, Angelica B. W. Boldt¹, Rolf Fendel^1,2, Benjamin Mordmüller^1,2, Peter G. Kremsner^1,2, Jürgen F. J. Kun¹
European Cytokine Network, Vol.17, No.3, pp. 175-180, 2006, DOI:10.1684/ecn.2006.0032
Abstract The outcome of a Plasmodium falciparum infection differs greatly between patients, ranging from an asymptomatic carrier status to the most severe characteristics influenced by activating and inhibiting immune factors. The inhibitory leukocyte immunoglobulin-like receptor (LILRB1/CD85j) plays an important role in the immune response as regulator of cytotoxic T cells and of premature activation and clonal expansion of B cells. To investigate its role in malaria, we analyzed blood samples from malaria patients by cytometric analysis. We found a similar expression pattern of CD85j on PBMC in both patients and healthy children. However, malaria patients presented significantly More >

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ARTICLE

Jolanta Myśliwska¹, Joanna Więckiewicz¹, Łukasz Hak¹, Janusz Siebert², Jan Rogowski³, Krzysztof Szyndler³, Andrzej Myśliwski⁴
European Cytokine Network, Vol.17, No.3, pp. 181-188, 2006, DOI:10.1684/ecn.2006.0035
Abstract IL6 gene promoter polymorphisms may influence the outcome of cardiovascular diseases. The aim of our study was to find out whether the –174G>C polymorphism, as well as the IL6 secretory profile, may be linked to the number of severely (≥ 75%) occluded coronary arteries in patients with advanced coronary heart disease (CHD). Three hundred and twenty patients awaiting elective coronary artery bypass grafting were enrolled into the study. Blood was taken the day before surgery. The PCR-RFLP method was used for IL6 gene polymorphism analysis. Spontaneous IL6 release was measured by bioassay in supernatants of… More >

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ARTICLE

Lei Zhou, Yixing Li, Tao Xia, Shengqiu Feng, Xiaodong Chen, Zaiqing Yang
European Cytokine Network, Vol.17, No.3, pp. 189-195, 2006, DOI:10.1684/ecn.2006.0039
Abstract Resistin is a 12.5-kDa cysteine-rich protein secreted from adipose tissue and is an important factorlinking obesity with insulin resistance. Here, we investigated the effect of resistin on glucose tolerance in adulthuman hepatocytes (L-02 cells). In this study, resistin cDNA was transfected into L-02 cells, and glucoseconcentration and glucokinase activity were determined subsequently. The data indicated resistin impaired,insulin-stimulated glucose utilization, which implied liver was a target tissue of resistin. To understand itsmolecular mechanism, mRNA levels of key genes in glucose metabolism and insulin signaling pathway wereanalyzed. The results demonstrated resistin-stimulated expression of glucose-6-phosphatase (G6Pase), sterolregulatory element-binding More >

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ARTICLE

Hubertus Himmerich^1,2, Stephany Fulda¹, Jakob Linseisen^3,4, Henrike Seiler³, Günther Wolfram⁵, Stephanie Himmerich⁶, Kurt Gedrich⁶, Thomas Pollmächer^1,7
European Cytokine Network, Vol.17, No.3, pp. 196-201, 2006, DOI:10.1684/ecn.2006.0037
Abstract The cytokines tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-α), soluble TNF receptors p55 and p75, and interleukin 6 (IL-6) are involved in host defense against several microbiological agents, in the process of inflammation and also in body weight regulation. In the present study, we sought to assess the influence of age, gender, smoking, and body mass index on plasma levels of TNF-α, TNF receptors, and IL-6 in more than 550 adult subjects randomly selected from the Bavarian population. None of the cytokine parameters had a normal distribution and all distributions were significantly skewed. The cytokine plasma levels investigated More >

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ARTICLE

Gaelle Clavel^1,2,3, Chiara Valvason^1,2,4, Kunio Yamaoka^1,2,4, Delphine Lemeiter^1,2,4, Liliane Laroche^2,5, Marie-Christophe Boissier^1,2,4, Natacha Bessis^1,2,4
European Cytokine Network, Vol.17, No.3, pp. 202-210, 2006, DOI:10.1684/ecn.2006.0038
Abstract 1 INSERM, ERI-18, University of Paris 13 and Rheumatology Dpt, CHU Avicenne (AP-HP), 74 rue Marcel Cachin, 93017 Bobigny Cedex, France.
Fax: (+00 33) 1 48 38 88 93
2 Rheumatology Dpt, CHU Nord, Amiens, France
3 CHU Nord Amiens, Rheumatology dpt, 80000 Amiens, France
4 AP-HP, Avicenne hospital, Rheumatology department, Bobigny, France
5 AP-HP, Avicenne hospital, Dermatology department, Bobigny, France More >

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REVIEW

Delphine Lavens, Julie Piessevaux, Jan Tavernier
European Cytokine Network, Vol.17, No.3, pp. 211-219, 2006, DOI:10.1684/ecn.2006.0040
Abstract Leptin was discovered as an adipostat, regulating body weight by balancing food intake and energy expenditure. Recently, leptin emerged as a pleiotropic cytokine. It plays a substantial role in a wide spectrum of other functions including immune regulation, bone formation and fertility. Leptin signalling is under tight control. Aberrations of this stringent control system may be implicated in a variety of pathologies. Here, we review the various mechanisms that control cellular leptin receptor signalling. More >

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