Open Access

REVIEW

Magali Garcia^1,2, Michel Wehbe¹, Nicolas Lévêque^1,2, Charles Bodet¹
European Cytokine Network, Vol.28, No.2, pp. 41-51, 2017, DOI:10.1684/ecn.2017.0394
Abstract Skin is a complex organ and the largest interface of the human body exposed to numerous stress and pathogens. Skin is composed of different cell types that together perform essential functions such as pathogen sensing, barrier maintenance and immunity, at once providing the first line of defense against microbial infections and ensuring skin homeostasis. Being inoculated directly through the epidermis and the dermis during a vector blood meal, emerging Dengue, Zika and West Nile mosquito-borne viruses lead to the initiation of the innate immune response in resident skin cells and to the activation of dendritic More >

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ARTICLE

Mona Schaalan^1,a, Waleed Mohamed^2,a
European Cytokine Network, Vol.28, No.2, pp. 52-62, 2017, DOI:10.1684/ecn.2017.0393
Abstract Background: Though significant progress has been made towards new diagnostic approaches for early detection of acute kidney injury (AKI) induced by different factors, there is still an urgent demand for a more specific and predictive biomarker for each type. The aim of this study is to unravel the potential diagnostic utility of circulating osteoprotegerin (OPG) in septic patients who developed AKI in the ICU, compared to cystatin C (a renal function maker) and KIM-1 (a kidney damage marker). Methods: Eighty patients (male = 43, female = 37) with ages ranging from 42 to 46 years… More >

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ARTICLE

Maria Giovanna Vilia, Marta Tocchetti, Eleonora Fonte, Ilenia Sana, Marta Muzio
European Cytokine Network, Vol.28, No.2, pp. 63-69, 2017, DOI:10.1684/ecn.2017.0395
Abstract IL-1R8, also known as SIGIRR or TIR8, is a trans-membrane protein belonging to the IL-1 receptor family. The human gene includes ten exons, and alternative splicing can result in different isoforms. We, herein, characterized a longer isoform of IL-1R8 containing an in-frame additional sequence between the TIR domain and the C-terminal portion of the protein. IL-1R8 Long (IL-1R8L1) mRNA was specifically expressed and regulated in distinct cell lines, in a manner similar to the classic isoform. Overexpression of IL-1R8L1 resulted in the production of a corresponding protein that showed a pattern of cell localization similar More >

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ARTICLE

Dennis Verhaegh, Leo A. B. Joosten, Marije Oosting
European Cytokine Network, Vol.28, No.2, pp. 70-84, 2017, DOI:10.1684/ecn.2017.0396
Abstract Lyme disease is a zoonosis caused by infection with bacteria belonging to the Borrelia burgdorferi species after the bite of an infected tick. Even though an infection by this bacterium can be effectively treated with antibiotics, when the infection stays unnoticed B. burgdorferi can persist and chronic post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome is able to develop. Although a cellular and humoral response is observed after an infection with theBorrelia bacteria, these pathogens are still capable to stay alive. Several immune evasive mechanisms have been revealed and explained and much work has been put into the understanding of the… More >

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ARTICLE

Juan Sun^a, Wei Guo^a, Xingguang Du
European Cytokine Network, Vol.28, No.2, pp. 85-92, 2017, DOI:10.1684/ecn.2017.0392
Abstract Background: As a partial μ-opioid receptor agonist with long half-life time, buprenorphine has been widely used to relieve chronic cancer and nonmalignant pain. The maintenance of chronic pain involves inflammation; however whether buprenorphine has anti-inflammation property remains unclear. Methods: Macrophages, the immune cells that initiate and maintain inflammation, were isolated from human umbilical cord blood, and were polarized into M1 or M2 macrophages with IFN-γ in the presence of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or IL-4, respectively. Quantitative PCR, ELISA, Western blotting analysis, and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays were employed to characterize M1 and M2 macrophages. Results: 1) Buprenorphine… More >

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