Manel Amri, Dalila Mezioug, Saliha Ait-Aissa, Chafia Touil-Boukoffa

European Cytokine Network, Vol.19, No.3, pp. 142-148, 2008, DOI:10.1684/ecn.2008.0131

Abstract Cystic echinococcosis (CE) is caused by infection with the larval stage of the cestode Echinococcus granulosus. It is one of the world’s major zoonotic infections. Variability and severity of clinical expression of this parasitosis are associated with duration and intensity of infection. They are also related to the variety of human immunological responses to the hydatic antigens. The aim of this work is to study the inflammatory response associated with human hydatidosis by evaluating the possible roles of the proinflammatory cytokines in hydatic patients. We investigated the patterns of IL-12 and IL-8 in serum from Algerian… More >

Georges Khalil¹, Marwan El-Sabban², Sara Al-Ghadban², Sandy Azzi³, Sara Shamra², Simon Khalifé⁴, Richard Maroun³

European Cytokine Network, Vol.19, No.3, pp. 131-141, 2008, DOI:10.1684/ecn.2008.0132

Abstract Since the withdrawal of penicillin determinants from the market, in addition to the hazard of re-exposing the patient to the drug, skin testing for the diagnosis of penicillin allergy has become less accurate and less standardized. The assay currently used, the lymphocyte transformation test (LTT), lacks sufficient sensitivity, and requires the use of radioactive material. The objective of this study was to establish an accessible and reliable method for the safe diagnosis of penicillin allergy. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were isolated from 18 patients who were allergic to penicillin and 12 control subjects using… More >

Davy W. Matondo Maya^1,2, Ludovic Mewono^1,2, Anne-Marie Nkoma¹, Saadou Issifou¹, Elie Mavoungou¹

European Cytokine Network, Vol.19, No.3, pp. 123-130, 2008, DOI:10.1684/ecn.2008.0129

Abstract We investigated associations between markers of damage of vascular endothelial cells (MDVECs) and plasma cytokine levels, hemoglobin level and temperature in individuals with acute uncomplicated malaria, as well as healthy controls, using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the presence of soluble endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (sE-selectin), circulating granule membrane protein-140 (sP-selectin), circulating thrombomodulin (TM), circulating von Willebrand factor (VWf), interferon gamma (IFN-γ) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α). Significant differences were observed between malaria patients and the healthy people in term of levels of both sE-selectin and TM. The serum levels of sP-selectin and More >

Massimiliano Mirolo^1,*, Marco Fabbri^1,*, Marina Sironi^1,*, Annunciata Vecchi², Angelo Guglielmotti³, Giorgina Mangano³, Giuseppe Biondi³, Massimo Locati^1,4, Alberto Mantovani^1,4

European Cytokine Network, Vol.19, No.3, pp. 119-122, 2008, DOI:10.1684/ecn.2008.0133

Abstract Bindarit is an indazolic derivative that is devoid of any immunosuppressive effects and has no effect on arachidonic acid metabolism. However, it has been proved to have anti-inflammatory activity in a number of experimental diseases, including pancreatitis, arthritis, and lupus nephritis. This therapeutic effect has been associated with its ability to interfere selectively with monocyte recruitment, although the underlying molecular mechanisms are unknown. Here we comprehensively examine the effect of bindarit on the chemokine system, and report that in activated monocytes and endothelial cells, it selectively inhibits the production of the monocyte chemotactic protein subfamily More >

Giovanni Matera¹, Maria Carla Liberto¹, Leo A. B. Joosten², Maria Vinci¹, Angela Quirino¹, Maria Concetta Pulicari¹, Bart Jan Kullberg², Jos W. M. Van der Meer², Mihai G. Netea², Alfredo Focà¹

European Cytokine Network, Vol.19, No.3, pp. 113-118, 2008, DOI:10.1684/ecn.2008.0128

Abstract Bartonella quintana (B. quintana) is a facultative, intracellular bacterium, which causes trench fever, chronic bacteraemia and bacillary angiomatosis. Little is known about the recognition of B. quintana by the innate immune system. In this review, we address the impact of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) on the recognition of B. quintana and the activation of the host defense. When experimental models using human mononuclear cells, transfected CHO cells, or TLR2^-/- and TLR4^-/- mice were used, differential effects of TLR2 and TLR4 have been observed. B. quintana micro-organisms stimulated cytokine production through TLR2-mediated signals, whereas no role for TLR4 in the recognition of this… More >

Le H. Song^1,2,*, Nguyen T. Xuan^1,*, Nguyen L. Toan^1,3, Vu Q. Binh³, Angelica B. Boldt¹, Peter G. Kremsner¹, Jürgen F. J. Kun¹

European Cytokine Network, Vol.19, No.4, pp. 204-210, 2008, DOI:10.1684/ecn.2008.0137

Abstract Interferon-α (IFNα) is a critical mediator of immunity to hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection. Although IFN has been used in the treatment of viral hepatitis for more than a decade, the role of IFN-α-receptor in HBV infection has not been intensively studied. We have evaluated the impact of two variants of the IFNAR1 gene on the outcome of HBV infection. Four hundred and fifty eight HBV-infected Vietnamese patients, with well-characterised clinical profiles including all forms of hepatic disease, and 160 non-infected, healthy Vietnamese individuals were enrolled in the study. Of these patients, 54 had acute… More >

Laurianne Giovannoni

European Cytokine Network, Vol.19, No.4, pp. 196-203, 2008, DOI:10.1684/ecn.2008.0136

Abstract Malaria causes more than one million deaths annually, worldwide. Understanding the genetic defenses against this disease is an important challenge for science. We know that the long-term presence of endemic malaria has led to a prevalence of the β°39 heterozygous thalassemia mutation in the two islands of Corsica and Sardinia. The populations of both islands are isolated, which could make it easier to find other genetic traits selected by disease pressure. We chose to investigate genes implicated in the primary defenses against Plasmodium falciparum: oxidative metabolism and the immune response. We indeed selected genes coding for More >

Mauricio Venegas¹, Caroll J. Beltrán², Luis Álvarez¹, Ariel Castro³, Tamara Torres⁴, Andrea D. Leal⁵, Francisca M. Lahsen⁵, Marcela A. Hermoso², Rodrigo Quera^1,6

European Cytokine Network, Vol.19, No.4, pp. 190-195, 2008, DOI:10.1684/ecn.2008.0135

Abstract Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) are multifactorial diseases with a genetic back-ground. Recent results have shown that a non-synonymous, single nucleotide polymorphism (rs11209026, c.1142G>A, p.Arg381Gln) located in the IL-23R gene is associated with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The prevalence of IBD is rapidly rising in Chile and there is no information about the frequency of this polymor-phism in the Chilean population. Aim. To assess the distribution of DNA variants in the IL-23R gene in Chilean patients with IBD. Methods. We studied 100 IBD patients (38 CD and 62 UC) and 59 healthy controls.… More >

Evelien Bodar^1,3, Mihai G. Netea^1,3, Dirk J. de Jong², Bart-Jan Kullberg^1,3, Leo A. B. Joosten^1,3, Jos W. M. Van der Meer^1,3

European Cytokine Network, Vol.19, No.4, pp. 185-189, 2008, DOI:10.1684/ecn.2008.0140

Abstract Background. NOD2/CARD15 is a member of the NACHT-LRR (NLR) family of proteins, which recognize the muramyl dipeptide motif from bacterial peptidoglycans. NOD2 has been shown to be involved in the pathogenesis of Crohn’s disease. NLR proteins modulate inflammation and apoptosis, and several studies have implicated NOD2 in the induction of cytokines and inflammatory reactions. However, only scarce data are available regarding its role in apoptosis. Donors and methods. Neutrophils and lymphocytes isolated from the blood from four Crohn’s disease patients homozygous for the loss-of-function 3020insC NOD2 mutation were examined for spontaneous and anisomycin-induced apoptosis. They More >

Burcak Karaca¹, Yuksel Kucukzeybek¹, Gurbuz Gorumlu¹, Cigdem Erten¹, Mustafa K. Gul¹, Ercument Cengiz¹, Harika Atmaca², Selim Uzunoglu², Ulus A. Sanli¹, Bulent Karabulut¹, Ruchan Uslu¹

European Cytokine Network, Vol.19, No.4, pp. 176-184, 2008, DOI:10.1684/ecn.2008.0139

Abstract In this study, we aimed to investigate the angiogenic cytokine profiles of hormone- and drug-refractory prostate carcinoma cell lines, PC-3 and DU-145. We also studied the effect of gossypol, a natural polyphenolic cotton-seed extract, on the angiogenic cytokine profile of these cell lines. XTT cell proliferation assay was used for the assessment of cytotoxicity. For apoptosis, both histone-DNA fragmentation by ELISA assay and caspase 3/7 activity measurement were used. Angiogenic cytokine profiles of supernatants from both cell lines, before and after treatment with gossypol, were investigated using the human angiogenesis antibody array I^®. It was shown… More >