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 >

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 >

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 >

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 >

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 >

Lihua Zhu^1,a, Liyan Zhu^2,a

European Cytokine Network, Vol.28, No.3, pp. 120-126, 2017, DOI:10.1684/ecn.2017.0400

Abstract Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic autoimmune disease affecting nearly 1% of adults worldwide. This study aimed to investigate whether sophocarpine is a potential drug for treating RA. Methods: The cytotoxicity of sophocarpine to RA-fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs) was evaluated using 3-[4,-dimethylthiazol2-y]-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assays kit and released lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) assays. The transcription of proinflammatory cytokines in RA-FLSs was analyzed by reverse transcription and real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The proteins levels were further verified by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The alterations in the mediators of mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) and nuclear factor B… More >

José L. Aparicio¹, Macarena Ottobre¹, Maite Duhalde Vega¹, Jean-Paul Coutelier², Jacques Van Snick³, Lilia A. Retegui¹

European Cytokine Network, Vol.28, No.3, pp. 111-119, 2017, DOI:10.1684/ecn.2017.0399

Abstract Mice infected with mouse hepatitis virus A59 (MHV-A59) develop hepatitis and autoantibodies (autoAb) to liver and kidney fumarylacetoacetate hydrolase (FAH), a fact closely related to the release of alarmins such as uric acid and/or high-mobility group box protein 1 (HMGB1). We studied the effect of neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (MAb) against IL-17A in our model of mouseMHV-A59-infection.MAb anti-IL-17F and anti-IFNγ were used to complement the study. Results showed that transaminase levels markedly decreased in MHV-A59- infected mice treated with MAb anti-IL-17A whereas plasmatic Ig concentration sharply increased. Conversely, MAb anti-IL-17F enhanced transaminase liberation and did not More >

Alba Martínez^1,2, Cristina Bono^1,2, Javier Megías³, Alberto Yánez˜^4,5, Daniel Gozalbo^1,2, M. Luisa Gil^1,2

European Cytokine Network, Vol.28, No.3, pp. 102-110, 2017, DOI:10.1684/ecn.2017.0398

Abstract Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonists drive hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs) to differentiate along the myeloid lineage in vitro and also in vivo following infection. In this study, we used an in vitro model of HSPC differentiation to investigate the functional consequences (cytokine production) that exposing HSPCs to various pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs) and Candida albicans cells have on the subsequently derived macrophages. Mouse HSPCs (Lin– cells) were cultured with GM-CSF to induce macrophage differentiation in the presence or absence of the following pattern recognition receptor (PRR) agonists: Pam₃CSK₄ (TLR2 ligand), LPS (TLR4 ligand), depleted zymosan (which only activates Dectin-1),… More >

Fatemeh Mohammadi¹, Ghasem Solgi², Maryam Tajik¹, Pedram Ahmadpoor³, Hasan Nikoeinejad⁴, Behzad Einollahi⁴, Banafsheh Nazari¹, Mahboob Lessan-pezeshki⁵, Aliakbar Amirzargar^1,6

European Cytokine Network, Vol.28, No.3, pp. 93-101, 2017, DOI:10.1684/ecn.2017.0397

Abstract The purpose of this study was to evaluate T-cell immunity markers using serial post-transplantation monitoring of cytokine-producing cells during the first post-transplant months for the prediction of acute rejection and potentially chronic rejection of kidney allograft. We followed 57 kidney allograft recipients for meanly 3 years post-transplantation. Blood samples were collected pre-transplant, 2, 4 and 12 weeks post-transplant. The frequencies of IL-10-, IL-17- and IFN-γ-producing cells were determined in all time-points using ELISPOT assay. The results of ELISpot monitoring and levels of IL-23 and TGF-β were compared between recipients with acute (n = 12) or… More >

Nataša Todorović-Raković, Marko Radulovic, Tijana Vujasinović, Jelena Milovanović, Dragica Nikolic-Vukosavljević

European Cytokine Network, Vol.28, No.4, pp. 151-156, 2017, DOI:10.1684/ecn.2018.0402

Abstract There is increasing evidence for the importance of immunity in breast cancer. IFNγ is expected to have a prognostic value based on its major role in innate and specific cell-mediated immunity. In this retrospective study, based on the 14-year follow-up of 73 patients with breast cancer after surgery and radiotherapy but no subsequent systemic therapy, we investigated the prognostic time dependence of intra-tumoural IFNγ mRNA and protein levels. Over the entire 14 years of follow-up, neither IFNγ mRNA nor protein was significantly associated with metastasis outcome by AUC and Cox regression criteria. However, evaluation of… More >