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Elke Schneider, Nathalie Thieblemont, Maria Leite De Moraes, Michel Dy
European Cytokine Network, Vol.21, No.3, pp. 142-153, 2010, DOI:10.1684/ecn.2010.0197
Abstract Basophils belong to a myeloid cell population that has been ignored for more than a century,mainly because of its paucity, its lack of specific markers, and the absence of experimental models. Given thatin mice, even the mere existence of basophils was contested, they were alluded to as“histamine-producingcells” or“non-T non-B cells” in initial studies. It is now widely acknowledged that basophils respond to variousIgE-dependent or -independent stimuli, and are engaged in a complex cross talk with a number of immunocom-petent cells (T or B lymphocytes, macrophages, dendritic cells, endothelial cells…). Indeed, on the one hand theyare More >

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ARTICLE

Kimberley Joanne Hatfield¹, Siv Lise Bedringsaas², Anita Ryningen³, Bjørn Tore Gjertsen^1,2, Øystein Bruserud^1,2
European Cytokine Network, Vol.21, No.3, pp. 154-164, 2010, DOI:10.1684/ecn.2010.0204
Abstract Introduction. Low oxygen tension is able to modulate the expression of several genes involved in physiological and pathological processes. A major regulator of gene expression is the heterodimeric transcrip tion factor hypoxia inducible factor-1 (HIF-1), which also regulates angiogenesis-related genes, including the protein expression of angioregulatory cytokines. Angiogenesis has been shown to play a role in haematological disorders, and low oxygen tension might thereby influence leukaemogenesis and chemosensitivity in human acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). Methods. We examined the effect of a hypoxic environment (1% O₂) on in vitro-cultured, primary human AML cells with regard to HIF-1α… More >

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ARTICLE

Dirk M. Wuttge¹, Marie Wildt¹, Agneta Scheja¹, Gunilla Westergren-Thorsson²
European Cytokine Network, Vol.21, No.3, pp. 165-176, 2010, DOI:10.1684/ecn.2010.0202
Abstract Objective. Fibroproliferative diseases are common causes of morbidity and mortality. Interleukin-15 (IL-15) is a pleiotropic cytokine with multiple effects on cells of the immune system. Although IL-15 is also expressed in mesenchymal cells, its effects on the development of fibrosis are unknown. We have previously described an association between serum IL-15 levels and the extent of pulmonary fibrosis in the connective tissue disease systemic sclerosis, suggesting that IL-15 may have profibrotic effects. To test this hypothesis, we studied the effects of IL-15 on myofibroblast differentiation, an in vitro model of fibrosis development. Methods. We used… More >

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Li Qi, Zhou Xiangdong, Yu Hongmei, Nie Xiaohong, Xu Xiaoyan
European Cytokine Network, Vol.21, No.3, pp. 177-185, 2010, DOI:10.1684/ecn.2010.0195
Abstract Complications arise in chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases (COPD) with excessive mucus pro-duction, especially during the exacerbation period, which contributes to airway blockage and bacterial infection. Neutrophil elastase (NE) is detected at high levels in airway secretions, and is the primary inducer of mucin production. Understanding the mechanism of NE-induced overproduction of mucin may lead to new therapies for COPD. It is known that activation of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and its downstream signal-ing cascade are involved in mucin production. However, the mechanism of NE-induced EGFR activation remains unclear. Tumor necrosis factor-α-converting enzyme (TACE) cleaves More >

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ARTICLE

Amalia Lamana^1,*, Ana M. Ortiz^1,*, José M. Alvaro-Gracia¹, Belén Díaz-Sánchez¹, Jesús Novalbos², Rosario García-Vicuña¹, Isidoro González-Álvaro¹
European Cytokine Network, Vol.21, No.3, pp. 186-194, 2010, DOI:10.1684/ecn.2010.0203
Abstract As interleukin-15 (IL-15) has been implicated in the pathophysiology of rheumatoid arthritis, we analysed the serum IL-15 (sIL-15) levels in healthy subjects and patients with early arthritis to establish a cut-off point that might serve to define elevated sIL-15. This is an initial step to determine whether sIL-15 has the potential for use as a biomarker for patients with early arthritis. The IL-15 concentration was measured in serum obtained from 161 healthy controls and from 174 patients with early arthritis, and the relationship between the expression of the two IL-15 mRNA variants and the sIL-15… More >

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Jérôme Estaquier^1,2, John J. Zaunders³
European Cytokine Network, Vol.21, No.3, pp. 195-196, 2010, DOI:10.1684/ecn.2010.0200
Abstract This article has no abstract. More >

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Giulia Della Chiara¹, Claudio Fortis², Giuseppe Tambussi³, Guido Poli^1,4
European Cytokine Network, Vol.21, No.3, pp. 197-201, 2010, DOI:10.1684/ecn.2010.0199
Abstract In 1995, a breakthrough paper showed that intermittent cycles of interleukin-2 (IL-2), together with suboptimal ART, caused an unprecedented, stable increase in CD4+ T cell counts, without altering the steady state levels of viremia. At the time, this was somewhat obscured by the first successes of combination antiretroviral therapy (cART). However, since then, numerous studies have confirmed this basic finding, open-ing up a new perspective in the long-term management of chronic HIV infection. One of the benchmarks of this experimental treatment is the expansion of CD4⁺ CD25⁺ T lymphocytes probably including T regulatory cells (Tregs). Based… More >

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Ann Chahroudi¹, Guido Silvestri²
European Cytokine Network, Vol.21, No.3, pp. 202-207, 2010, DOI:10.1684/ecn.2010.0205
Abstract Interleukin-7 (IL-7) is a γ-chain cytokine that plays a key role in T cell development and homeostasis by signaling through its cognate receptor, IL-7R or CD127, and inducing T cell survival and/or proliferation. Owing to its ability to promote CD4+ T cell homeostasis, IL-7 has elicited significant interest as a potential immunotherapy for HIV-infected individuals. Indeed, several studies have indicated that progressive HIV infection is associated with a complex dysregulation of the IL-7/IL-7R pathway consisting of increased plasma levels of this cytokine coupled with decreased percentages of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells expressing CD127. Administration More >

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Douglas S. Kwon^1,2,3, Daniel E. Kaufmann^1,3
European Cytokine Network, Vol.21, No.3, pp. 208-214, 2010, DOI:10.1684/ecn.2010.0201
Abstract Successful pathogen clearance depends on a finely orchestrated equilibrium between inflammatory immune responses and immunoregulatory mechanisms that limit collateral tissue damage. The cytokine interleukin 10 (IL-10) has been shown to play a critical role in this balance in numerous infectious diseases. Studies in animal models have revealed that IL-10 gene-knockout or signaling blockade can enhance resistance to pathogens, and substantially facilitate viral clearance. These same interventions in other infections however, result in more severe disease due to the inability of the immune system to adequately contain the pathogen load, and to control immune-mediate damage. This… More >

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François Villinger, Aftab A. Ansari
European Cytokine Network, Vol.21, No.3, pp. 215-218, 2010, DOI:10.1684/ecn.2010.0206
Abstract Among cytokines that dictate the fate of developing immune responses, IL-12 represents an important nexus for the development of type I cell-mediated immune responses (CMI). This factor is primarily produced by monocytic cell lineages in response to stimuli such as pathogen-associated molecular patterns, dic-tating the development of naive T cells as they differentiate into antigen-specific T cells. HIV infection results in an early loss of effective TH1 prototype CMI when such responses appear to be precisely the type of CMI needed to control the virus and a host of opportunistic pathogens. Besides CD4 T cell… More >

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Yvonne M. Mueller, Peter D. Katsikis
European Cytokine Network, Vol.21, No.3, pp. 219-221, 2010, DOI:10.1684/ecn.2010.0198
Abstract Recent studies have shown that interleukin-15 (IL-15) is produced during acute HIV and SIVinfection, and may impact viremia and viral set point. This is further supported by the findings that administra-tion of IL-15 during acute SIV infection dramatically increases viral set point. Although the role of intrinsicIL-15 during chronic infection is much less defined, in vivo administration of IL-15 does not increase viral repli-cation in SIV-infected animals. Recent data also suggest that IL-15 acts, not only on CD8+ T cells and naturalkiller cells, but also on effector memory CD4+ T cells. IL-15 clearly expands very More >

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Laure Campillo-Gimenez¹, Carole Elbim^1,2, Mireille Laforge¹, Maria C. Leite-de-Moraes³, John Zaunders⁴, Jérôme Estaquier^1,5
European Cytokine Network, Vol.21, No.3, pp. 222-225, 2010, DOI:10.1684/ecn.2010.0196
Abstract This article has no abstract. More >

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