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Bartosz Hudzik^1,a, Aleksander Danikiewicz^2,a, Janusz Szkodzinski¹, Lech Polonski¹, Barbara Zubelewicz-Szkodzinska^2,3
European Cytokine Network, Vol.25, No.3, pp. 41-45, 2014, DOI:10.1684/ecn.2014.0354
Abstract Introduction: Pentraxin-3 (PTX3) is an acute-phase reactant that shares structural and functional homology with C-reactive protein (CRP). However, unlike CRP, which is synthesized mainly in the liver, PTX3 is produced at the site of inflammation. It has been suggested that PTX3 plays the same role in the periphery that CRP does in circulation. PTX3 may represent a rapid marker of local inflammation. Methods: Fifty-one patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD) were enrolled. Blood samples were collected on admission. Plasma concentration of PTX3 and high-sensitivity CRP (hsCRP) were determined. Results: Median PTX3 concentration was 0.92… More >

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Marzena Dworacka¹, Ewa Krzyz̀agórska², Saule Iskakova³, Yerbol Bekmukhambetov⁴, Olzhas Urazayev⁴, Grzegorz Dworacki⁵
European Cytokine Network, Vol.25, No.3, pp. 46-51, 2014, DOI:10.1684/ecn.2014.0355
Abstract Aim:The pro-atherogenic role of RANTES, a chemokine expressing pleiotropic activities, in the course of type 2 diabetes-related atherosclerosis has been well documented. However, it is not known which of the diabetes-related factors primarily influence serum RANTES levels in patients with type 2 diabetes. Our aim was to investigate relationships between several factors known to be related to an increased risk of atherosclerosis and serum RANTES levels in type 2 diabetic patients. Methods: A total of 168 subjects were examined, which included 138 patients with type 2 diabetes and 30 non-diabetic controls. Measurements of venous, fasting,… More >

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Mounir Chennaoui^1,2, Catherine Drogou^1,2, Fabien Sauvet^1,2, Danielle Gomez-Merino^1,2, Denis E. Scofield³, Bradley C. Nindl⁴
European Cytokine Network, Vol.25, No.3, pp. 52-57, 2014, DOI:10.1684/ecn.2014.0356
Abstract Acute sleep deprivation in humans has been found to increase inflammatory markers and signaling pathways in the periphery through a possible Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR-4). In addition, short duration sleep has been associated with low circulating total Insulin-like Growth Factor-I (IGF-I) concentrations. We aimed to determine whether a total sleep deprivation (TSD) protocol with recovery altered whole-blood gene expression of the proinflammatory cytokines TNF-α and IL-6, as well as TLR-4 expression, and to examine the relationship with circulating concentrations of the IGF-I system. Twelve healthy men participated in a five-day TSD (two control nights followed… More >

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Ming Guan¹, Yaping Xu², Wei Wang³, Shan Lin²
European Cytokine Network, Vol.25, No.3, pp. 58-63, 2014, DOI:10.1684/ecn.2014.0357
Abstract Purpose:It has been reported that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can differentiate into neurons as an effect of adding extraneous factors, such as β-mercaptoethanol, dimethyl sulfoxide and butylated hydroxyanisole. However, many of these compounds could harm MSCs and the human body, which restricts their application. We examined whether MSCs could differentiate into neuron-like cells under the influence of natural growth factors, such as epidermal growth factor (EGF), basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1, and neurotrophin 3 (NT-3). Methods: MSCs were collected from rat bone marrow using the plastic adherent selection method, and… More >

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