Dorota Kierszniewska-Stepień¹, Tadeusz Pietras¹, Pawel Górski¹, Henryk Stepien²

European Cytokine Network, Vol.17, No.1, pp. 75-79, 2006

Abstract Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a disorder which encompasses not only morphological changes in parenchyma, central and peripheral airways but also in structural and functional changes of pulmonary vessels. The role of angiogenic factors leading to abnormal pulmonary vessel remodeling remains unclear. We have investigated a cytokine vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) known to be involved in angiogenesis, and its soluble receptors (sVEGF R1, sVEGF R2) in the serum of 20 patients with mild COPD and 10 patients with very severe COPD, using sensitive enzyme-linked immunoassays. The control group consisted of 10 healthy volunteers.… More >

Andrew E. Strong¹, Anne-Christine Thierry², Pascal Cousin³, Corinne Moulon⁴, Stéphane Demotz⁵

European Cytokine Network, Vol.17, No.1, pp. 49-59, 2006

Abstract Chemokines constitute a protein family that exhibit a variety of biological activities involved in normal and pathological physiological processes. CCL11 (eotaxin), CCL19 (MIP-3b), CCL22 (MDC), CXCL11 (I-TAC) and CXCL12 (SDF-1a) chemokines, modified with the Alexa Fluor^® 647 fluorescent dye at specific positions along their sequence, were produced by a chemical route and their biological activities were characterized. In a migration assay, fluorescent chemokines were as biologically active as the unmodified forms. All labeled chemokines specifically stained cell lines transfected with the appropriate human chemokine receptors. The specificity of binding was further established by showing that the… More >

Angela Garau¹, Riccardo Bertini², Marco Mosca², Cinzia Bizzarri², Roberto Anacardio², Sara Triulzi¹, Marcello Allegretti², Pietro Ghezzi¹, Pia Villa^1,3

European Cytokine Network, Vol.17, No.1, pp. 35-41, 2006

Abstract The chemokine receptors CXCR1 and CXCR2 present on polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN), bind the chemokine CXC ligand 8 (CXCL8)/interleukin-8 (IL-8), and have a key role in PMN recruitment in inflammation. Based on the structure of reparixin, a small-molecular-weight allosteric inhibitor of CXCR1, we designed a dual inhibitor of CXCR1 and CXCR2 with a longer in vivo half-life, DF2156A. This molecule inhibited human and rat PMN migration in response to CXCR1 and CXCR2 ligands and showed an elimination half-life following i.v. administration, of 19 hours. In a rat model of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion induced by temporary (90 min) More >

Carolina Figueroa¹, Alexis Peralta², Luisa Herrera³, Pedro Castro², Andrea Gutiérrez², Jorge Valenzuela^1,4, Juan C. Aguillón², Rodrigo Quera^1,4, Marcela A. Hermoso²

European Cytokine Network, Vol.17, No.2, pp. 125-130, 2006

Abstract Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) are multifactorial diseases with a genetic background. Genes related to the innate immune response have been observed to be involved. Polymorphisms of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) and CARD15/NOD2 are thought to be involved in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). There is no information about the frequency of these polymorphisms in South American and Chilean populations. Aim. To investigate the distribution of CARD15/NOD2 (Arg702Trp, Gly908Arg and Leu1007fsinsC) and TLR4 (Asp299Gly) polymorphisms in Chilean patients with IBD. Methods. DNA was obtained from 22 CD, 22 UC patients and… More >

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 >

Arnon Blum¹, Khaled Khazim¹, Monir Merei¹, Aviva Peleg¹, Nava Blum², Vladimir Vaispapir¹

European Cytokine Network, Vol.17, No.4, pp. 295-298, 2006, DOI:10.1684/ecn.2006.0048

Abstract Background. Several studies have found that an increased concentration of haemostatic or inflammation markers was associated with worse prognosis in vascular disease. The inflammatory components in ischemic stroke are of current interest, and there is some experimental evidence that they may be linked. Hypothesis. The study was performed to determine the association between the neurological clinical outcome and levels of cell adhesion molecules in the first four days of hospitalization in patients with acute ischemic event. Methods. This prospective, pilot, case-controlled study examined the association between the clinical outcome and inflammatory markers within the first… More >

Christelle Vauloup¹, Roman Krzysiek^1,2, Liliane Greangeot-Keros¹, Daniel Wendling³, Phillippe Goupille⁴, Rachel Brault⁵, Christine Brousse⁶, Xavier Mariette⁷, Dominique Emilie^1,2

European Cytokine Network, Vol.17, No.4, pp. 290-293, 2006, DOI:10.1684/ecn.2006.0046

Abstract Background. Chronic hepatitis C infection is frequently associated with a mixed cryoglobulinaemia and circulating auto-antibodies, especially anti-smooth muscle cells (SMA) and anti-liver/kidney/microsome type 1 (LKM-1) anti-tissue antibodies. Treatments with TNF antagonists favour the emergence of auto-antibodies, and particularly anti-dsDNA antibodies. Objective. To determine the impact of TNF antagonists on hepatitis C-related immune abnormalities. Methods. We prospectively monitored for 14 weeks, six patients with actively replicating chronic hepatitis C, initiating an anti-TNF treatment for an associated rheumatoid arthritis. Results. Anti-nuclear and anti-dsDNA antibodies were induced in two and three patients, respectively. Treatment had no impact on More >

Amel Boumendjel^1,2, Lina Tawk¹, René de Waal Malefijt³, Vera Boulay¹, Hans Yssel¹, Jérôme Pène¹

European Cytokine Network, Vol.17, No.4, pp. 281-289, 2006, DOI:10.1684/ecn.2006.0045

Abstract It has been reported that IL-27 specifically induces the production of IgG2a by mouse B cells and inhibits IL-4-induced IgG1 synthesis. Here, we show that human naïve cord blood expresses a functional IL-27 receptor, consisting of the TCCR and gp130 subunits, although at lower levels as compared to naïve and memory splenic B cells. IL-27 does not induce proliferative responses and does not increase IgG1 production by CD19⁺ CD27⁺ memory B cells. However, it induces a low, but significant production of IgG1 by naïve CD19⁺ CD27^– IgD⁺ IgG^– spleen and cord blood B cells, activated via CD40, whereas… More >

Emmanouil Galanakis, Francescopaolo Di Cello, Maneesh Paul-Satyaseela, Kwang Sik Kim

European Cytokine Network, Vol.17, No.4, pp. 260-265, 2006, DOI:10.1684/ecn.2006.0042

Abstract Microbial penetration of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) into the central nervous system is essential for the development of meningitis. Considerable progress has been achieved in understanding the pathophysiology of meningitis, however, relatively little is known about the early inflammatory events occurring at the time of bacterial crossing of the BBB. We investigated, using real-time quantitative PCR, the expression of the neutrophil chemoattractants alpha-chemokines CXCL1 (Groa) and CXCL8 (IL-8), and of the monocyte chemoattractant beta-chemokine CCL2 (MCP-1) by human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMEC) in response to the meningitis-causing E. coli K1 strain RS218 or its isogenic… More >

Fred Saad, Abdulhadi Al Dejmah, Paul Perrotte, Michael McCormack, François Bénard, Luc Valiquette, Pierre I. Karakiewicz

Canadian Journal of Urology, Vol.13, Suppl.2, pp. 52-56, 2006

Abstract Over 60 years ago, Huggins and Hodges discovered androgen deprivation as an effective first-line therapy for metastatic prostate cancer. This leads to significant cancer control but in almost all men prostate cancer ultimately progresses to a hormone-refractory (HRPC) state resulting in significant morbidity and eventual death. In 2004, two landmark studies using docetaxel based chemotherapy demonstrated, for the first time, a survival advantage in HRPC. This has set a new standard of care for this disease. In addition, treatment with the bisphosphonate zoledronic acid has been shown to significantly reduce bone complications in metastatic HRPC. More >