bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
IL-10 and IL-4 co-operate to normalizein vitroIgA production in IgA-deficient (IgAD) patients
Authors: Marconi M , Plebani A , Avanzini M A , Maccario R , Pistorio A , Duse M , Stringa M , Monafo V 
Published: March 2003

SUMMARYIn the present study we evaluated in vitro immunoglobulin production from IgAD individuals and healthy controls. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from IgAD and controls were cultured with anti-CD40 MoAb presented on a CDw32-transfected fibroblast cell line (CD40 system) in the presence of IL-10, IL-2, IL-4, transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) alone as well as of IL-10 in combination with each of the other three cytokines. Only IL-10 added alone induced significant changes in baseline immunoglobulin production; marked increases in median supernatant levels of all three isotypes were observed in both groups. The most striking finding of this study was the synergizing effect of IL-4 on IgA production in the IgAD group when added with IL-10; median IgA supernatant level increased to a value superimposable on that found in the normal controls which remained about the same as when stimulated with IL-10 alone. The synergic effect of IL-4 and IL-10 was specific to the IgA isotype.
Colonic explant production of IL-1 and its receptor antagonist is imbalanced in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
Authors: Dionne S , D'agata I D , Hiscott J , Vanounou T , Seidman E G 
Published: March 2003

SUMMARYIBD is associated with an increased activation of intestinal immune cells, which causes overproduction of proinflammatory cytokines such as IL-1β. IL-1β is implicated in mediating the sustained inflammatory response. IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra), the naturally occurring inhibitor of IL-1, has been shown to have beneficial effects in experimental models of colitis. In this study we investigated the hypothesis that an imbalance between IL-1 and IL-1Ra exists in IBD by measuring their secretion by explant cultures of colonic biopsies. Freshly homogenized biopsies from involved tissue in IBD patients exhibited significantly lower IL-1Ra/IL-1β ratios than control and uninvolved IBD mucosal tissue. Using explant cultures, in vitro production of IL-1β and IL-1Ra increased progressively during the 4–18-h culture periods. IL-1β secretion was higher in supernatants from involved Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis tissue compared with control tissue, and IL-1β levels increased with severity of inflammation. IL-1Ra secretion was not elevated in involved IBD samples, but significantly higher levels were released when moderate to severely involved tissue samples were compared with non-inflammatory controls. Similar to freshly homogenized tissue, explant studies showed that the IL-1Ra/IL-1β ratios were significantly decreased in involved IBD tissue, but not in uninvolved CD or inflammatory control specimens. These data support the hypothesis of an imbalance between IL-1β and IL-1Ra in IBD.
IL-6 receptor blockage inhibits the onset of autoimmune kidney disease in NZB/W F1 mice
Authors: Mihara M , Takagi N , Takeda Y , Ohsugi Y 
Published: March 2003

SUMMARYIn the present study, we examined the preventive effect of anti-mouse IL-6 receptor (IL-6R) antibody, MR16-1, on the development of autoimmune kidney disease in female NZB/W F1 (BWF1) mice. Immunological tolerance to MR16-1 or isotype-matched control antibody, KH-5, was induced by the simultaneous administration of anti-CD4 MoAb in mice. Thereafter, mice were intraperitoneally given 0.5 mg of MR16-1, 0.5 mg of KH-5 or saline once a week from 13 to 64 weeks of age. MR16-1 treatment dramatically suppressed proteinuria and prolonged the survival time of BWF1 mice. Only one out of 10 mice died with high levels of proteinuria throughout the experiment. MR16-1 almost completely suppressed the production of IgG forms of anti-DNA and anti-TNP antibodies, but not the IgM forms of these antibodies. In particular, all IgG subclasses (IgG1, IgG2a, IgG2b and IgG3) of anti-DNA antibody production were significantly suppressed. Moreover, serum IgG1, IgG2a and IgG3 levels in MR16-1-treated mice were lower than those in saline- and KH-5-treated mice, whereas serum IgM and IgA levels were not influenced. In conclusion, MR16-1 potently suppressed the development of autoimmune disease in BWF1 mice, and this was attributed to its effect of specific suppression of IgG class antibody production.
Contribution of the IL-2 and IL-10 genes to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) susceptibility
Authors: Parkes M , Satsangi J , Jewell D 
Published: March 2003

Abstract
Although the importance of genetic susceptibility to IBD has been established by epidemiological studies, the genes involved remain poorly characterized. Important candidate genes include those encoding the immunoregulatory cytokines IL-2 and IL-10. The aim of this study was to assess the contribution of the IL-2 and IL-10 genes to IBD susceptibility. One hundred and ninety-eight pairs of siblings with IBD were genotyped at dinucleotide repeat polymorphisms within the IL-2 and IL-10 genes, and data analysed by the affected sib-pair method of linkage analysis and the transmission disequilibrium test (TDT). A subset of 89 affected sibling pairs was genotyped at markers flanking the IL-2 gene as part of a genome-wide search. The IL-2 polymorphism showed no linkage to IBD overall, but modest evidence for linkage to the ulcerative colitis (UC) data set (P = 0.028). A microsatellite 4 cM distal to the IL-2 gene showed a similar distortion in the ulcerative colitis subgroup (P = 0.006). The TDT showed some distortion of allelic transmission for the IL-2 polymorphism in the UC group, but this did not reach statistical significance (P = 0.09). Results for the IL-10 polymorphism were not significant. Thus the gene encoding IL-2 may contribute to UC susceptibility, but the effect is modest and must await replication in other data sets. The IL-10 gene does not appear to contribute to the risk of developing UC or Crohn's disease.
Mice incapable of making IL-4 or IL-10 display normal resistance to infection withMycobacterium tuberculosis
Authors: North R J 
Published: March 2003

AbstractWith a view to determining whether production of Th2 cytokines, IL-4 or IL-10, is responsible for the inability of mice to resolve infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis, mice with targeted disruption of their IL-4 or IL-10 gene were compared with wild-type mice in terms of their ability to defend against an M. tuberculosis infection initiated via the respiratory route. The results show that mice that are unable to make either IL-4 or IL-10 are no more capable than wild-type mice at defending against tuberculosis (TB). Therefore, the results are inconsistent with the proposition that the inadequacy of Th1-mediated anti-tuberculosis immunity is due to its down-regulation by either of these Th2 cytokines.
Differential use of immunoglobulin light chain genes and B lymphocyte expansion at sites of disease in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) compared with circulating B lymphocytes
Authors: Moyes S P , Maini R N , Mageed R A 
Published: March 2003

SUMMARYThe presence of germinal centre-like structures and clonotypic expansion of lymphocytes in RA synovia may indicate a site-specific immune response to local antigens, rather than passively entrapped immune cells, that sustains synovial inflammation. In this study we compare the nature of immunoglobulin light chain variable region gene use in the synovium of RA patients with peripheral B cells to determine the nature of the synovial immune response. Using Vλ and Vκ gene fingerprinting, which relies on differences in CDR3 length, we demonstrate differences in the pattern of Vλ and Vκ use and clonotypic expansion of B cells between the synovium and peripheral blood of RA patients. Further, we show that some synovial rearrangements with long CDR3 are selectively expanded. These longer than usual CDR3 were generated by a number of mechanisms including N-additions. However, the observed differences were not uniform in different patients. These observations suggest that local synovial antigens drive significant numbers of T and B lymphocytes selected from an existing repertoire shaped by genetic and environmental factors. Further, the data argue against passive retention of most B cells in the synovium of RA patients.
Pharmacodynamics of recombinant human DNase I in serum
Authors: Prince W S , Baker D L , Dodge A H , Ahmed A E , Chestnut R W , Sinicropi D V 
Published: March 2003

SUMMARYRecombinant human deoxyribonuclease I (rhDNase) may be an effective therapeutic for the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The pharmacodynamics of rhDNase in serum was investigated using two activity assays: one based on hydrolysis of a radiolabelled phage DNA and the other based on hydrolysis of human chromatin. The concentration of endogenous immunoreactive DNase in sera from 16 normal subjects was 3.2 ± 1.4 ng/ml (mean ± s.d.); however, low levels or no nuclease activity were detected in the same sera, suggesting the presence of DNase inhibitors. We assessed the ability of rhDNase to degrade DNA in undiluted serum, since the observed inhibition of endogenous DNase was reversed upon dilution. Addition of rhDNase to undiluted serum at a concentration of 50–100 ng/ml was necessary for degradation of radiolabelled phage DNA. The activity of rhDNase added to serum from normal subjects and SLE patients was similar. rhDNase degraded human chromatin and chromatin/anti-DNA immune complexes in serum with similar potency (EC50 ≈ 100–200 ng/ml). A 500-fold variation in the chromatin/anti-DNA stoichiometry did not significantly affect the digestion of these immune complexes by rhDNase in buffer. These results indicate that a minimum rhDNase concentration of 50–100 ng/ml in serum was required to achieve detectable catalytic activity and that the presence of antibodies to DNA did not inhibit the degradation of DNA/anti-DNA immune complexes.
The immunostimulating complex (ISCOM) is an efficient mucosal delivery system for respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) envelope antigens inducing high local and systemic antibody responses
Authors: Hu K-F , Elvander M , Merza M , Åkerblom L , Brandenburg A , Morein B 
Published: March 2003

SUMMARYISCOM is an efficient mucosal delivery system for RSV envelope proteins as measured by antibody responses in respiratory tract secretions and in sera of mice following two intranasal (i.n.) administrations. Intranasally administered RSV ISCOMs induced high levels of IgA antibodies both in the upper respiratory tract and in the lungs. In the lungs, a prominent and long-lasting IgA response was recorded, which still persisted 22 weeks after the second i.n. immunization when the experiment ended. Subcutaneous (s.c.) immunization only induced low IgA titres in the upper respiratory tract and no measurable response to RSV was found in the lungs. Differences were also noticed in serum between the i.n. and s.c. modes of immunization. ISCOMs given intranasally induced earlier, higher and longer lasting IgM and IgG1 serum anti-RSV antibody responses than those induced by the s.c. mode of administration. A low serum IgE response was only detectable at 2 weeks after i.n. immunization with ISCOMs and after s.c. immunization with an inactivated virus, but no IgE response was detectable after s.c. injection of ISCOMs. The serum IgA response was more pronounced following s.c. injection of inactivated virus than after i.n. application of ISCOMs, and a clear-cut booster effect was obtained with a second immunization. Virtually no serum IgA response was detected after the s.c. administration of ISCOMs. In conclusion, the high immune responses induced by RSV ISCOMs in the respiratory tract and serum after i.n. administration indicate prominent mucosal delivery and adjuvant properties of the ISCOMs, warranting further studies.
Autoantibodies to C-reactive protein (CRP) and other acute-phase proteins in systemic autoimmune diseases
Authors: Bell S A , Faust H , Schmid A , Meurer M 
Published: March 2003

SUMMARYAutoantibodies to CRP were reported previously in patients suffering from toxic oil syndrome. This syndrome resembles autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) or systemic scleroderma. We therefore examined the prevalence of antibodies to CRP and other acute-phase proteins in autoimmune diseases, including SLE, subacute cutaneous lupus erythematosus (SCLE), systemic scleroderma (SSc), and primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), as well as in bone marrow transplantation-induced chronic graft-versus-host disease and eosinophilia–myalgia syndrome. IgG antibodies to CRP were found in 78% of SLE and in 30% of SCLE patients, while 16% of patients with PBC were positive. In up to 45% of patients with SSc predominantly IgG antibodies to ceruloplasmin were detectable. Lack of systemic involvement as in discoid lupus erythematosus and localized scleroderma (morphea) correlated with low or absent antibody formation. However, no correlation was found between anti-acute-phase protein antibodies with liver disease or other organ involvement. Adsorption studies revealed that non-native epitopes on the CRP molecule, termed modified CRP, are the main target of antibodies. Chronic inflammatory tissue injury in systemic autoimmune disease might increase the presentation of cryptic epitopes of CRP to the threshold required for T cell activation.
Lymphocyte subsets in distinct lung compartments show a different ability to produce interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) during a pulmonary immune response
Authors: Klemm A , Tschernig T , Krug N , Pabst R 
Published: March 2003

SUMMARYLymphocytes play an important immunoregulatory role in pulmonary immune responses. By releasing cytokines they can control the cell–cell communication of other participating cells. Although it is well established that the lung lymphocytes, localized in distinct compartments, differ in their subset composition, little is known about cytokine production in these compartments during immune responses. Lewis rats were immunized by intravenous administration of sheep erythrocytes on day 0 and day 7 and challenged intratracheally with sheep erythrocytes on day 10. Four days after intratracheal (i.t.) challenge the composition of lymphocyte subsets (CD2+, CD4+, CD8+, B cells, natural killer (NK) cells) in the spleen, blood, lung perfusate, lung tissue and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was characterized, and intracellular IFN-γ was detected in these subsets by flow cytometry. Comparing control and immunized animals, no changes were found in lymphocyte numbers, subsets or the percentage of IFN-γ-producing lymphocytes in the spleen, blood and lung perfusate. In lung tissue and BALF, however, the absolute number of all lymphocyte subsets and the percentage of IFN-γ-producing lymphocytes were increased. When the lymphocyte subsets were analysed an increased percentage of IFN-γ-producing T cells was found in lung tissue (4.5 ± 0.6% versus 12.8 ± 1.1%) and in BALF (7.8 ± 1.4% versus 14.8 ± 1.9%) of immunized animals opposed to controls, this increase being seen in both CD4+ and CD8+ cells. Thus, there is an accumulation of T cells with an increased potential to produce IFN-γ in the lung interstitium and the bronchoalveolar space during pulmonary immune responses.
The apoptosis of neutrophils is accelerated in respiratory syncytial virus (RSV)-induced bronchiolitis
Authors: Wang S-Z , Smith P K , Lovejoy M , Bowden J J , Alpers J H , Forsyth K D 
Published: March 2003

SUMMARYNeutrophils are the predominant inflammatory cell in the lung tissues and airways in RSV infection, and can augment the epithelial cell damage induced by RSV. Neutrophil apoptosis has been suggested to be a mechanism to reduce the potential for tissue injury. The apoptosis of neutrophils from nasopharyngeal aspirates (NPA) (n = 19) and peripheral blood (PB) of infants with RSV bronchiolitis (n = 11) and PB from healthy controls (n = 9) was investigated. Monoclonal antibody against CD95 (Fas) and a binding protein Annexin V were used to determine the apoptosis of neutrophils. The expression of CD11b and CD18 on neutrophils was also detected with flow cytometry. The mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) of CD95 on neutrophils from RSV+ NPA was increased compared with cells from control PB (73·6 ± 7·6 versus 31·5 ± 4·3); the MFI of Annexin V, CD11b and CD18 on neutrophils from RSV+ NPA was up-regulated compared with cells from both control PB (105·3 ± 18·1 versus 11·8 ± 1·5; 1683 ± 153·3 versus 841·1 ± 72·3; 517 ± 50·5 versus 147 ± 8·7, respectively) and RSV+ PB (105·3 ± 18·1 versus 35·8 ± 4·1; 1683 ± 153·3 versus 818 ± 141·2; 517 ± 50·5 versus 260 ± 25·8, respectively). Furthermore, the percentage of neutrophils expressing Annexin V and the MFI of CD18 on neutrophils from RSV+ PB were increased compared with neutrophils from control PB. In addition, both CD11b (MFI) and CD18 (MFI) correlated with Annexin V (MFI) on neutrophils. We conclude that neutrophil apoptosis in RSV bronchiolitis is accelerated; and CD11b/CD18 may play an important role in RSV infection by influencing neutrophil apoptosis.
Modulation by proinflammatory cytokines of Fas/Fas ligand-mediated apoptotic cell death of synovial cells in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA)
Authors: Wakisaka S , Suzuki N , Takeba Y , Shimoyama Y , Nagafuchi H , Takeno M , Saito N , Yokoe T , Kaneko A , Asai T , Sakane T 
Published: March 2003

SUMMARYSynovial cell hyperplasia is a characteristic of patients with RA. Excessive proliferation of RA synovial cells is, in part, responsible for the synovial cell hyperplasia. In addition, synovial cell death that would reduce synovial cell number may be defective, leading to the hyperplasia. Thus, the defective control of cell death as well as cell proliferation may be of central importance in the pathogenesis of RA. In this study we analysed effects of proinflammatory cytokines on Fas/Fas ligand (FasL)-induced synovial cell apoptosis, and evaluated apoptosis-associated protein expression in the synovial cells in patients with RA. RA synovial cells expressed Fas antigen and lymphocytes infiltrating into RA synovium expressed FasL. Apoptotic synovial cells were detected within the sublining layer of RA synovium. Anti-Fas MoAb induced apoptosis of RA synovial cells in vitro, and proinflammatory cytokines tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and IL-1β, but not IL-6 or IL-8, inhibited the anti-Fas-induced apoptosis accompanying up-regulation of Bcl-2 protein expression and reduced expression of CPP32 and ICH-1L. Immunohistochemical study revealed that CPP32 and ICH-1L were expressed weakly in the RA synovial lining cells compared with osteoarthritis (OA) synovial lining cells. Thus, we found that although RA synovial cells could die via apoptosis through Fas/FasL pathway, apoptosis of synovial cells was inhibited by proinflammatory cytokines present within the synovium. Inhibition of apoptosis by the proinflammatory cytokines may contribute outgrowth of synovial cells that leads to pannus formation and the destruction of joints in patients with RA.
Detection of anti-PL-12 autoantibodies by ELISA using a recombinant antigen; study of the immunoreactive region
Authors: GarcíA-Lozano J R , González-Escribano M F , Rodríguez R , Rodriguez-Sanchez J L , Targoff I N , Wichmann I , Núñez-Roldán A 
Published: March 2003

SUMMARY
Autoantibodies to aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases are highly associated with myositis and detection is important in clinical diagnosis; however, current methods of screening limit its clinical utility. In the present study, alanyl-tRNA synthetase (PL-12) recombinant protein was obtained by immunological screening of a HeLa expression library and used in an ELISA with 22 anti-PL-12 sera, 200 autoimmune sera negative for PL-12 and 100 healthy individual sera. Sensitivity of the method was 95% (21/22) and specificity 100%. Mapping of the immunoreactive region was carried out using three anti-PL-12 sera and different recombinant protein-derived peptides. Results show that the same conformational epitope located within amino acids 730–951 of the PL-12 antigen outside the catalytic region was recognized by the three anti-PL-12 sera tested. We conclude that ELISA using recombinant protein is an effective and useful method for routine screening for anti-PL-12 autoantibodies.
Differential regulation of Th1 and Th2 cells by p91–110 and p21–40 peptides of the 16-kD α-crystallin antigen ofMycobacterium tuberculosis
Authors: Agrewala J N , Wilkinson R J 
Published: March 2003

SUMMARYPermissively recognized peptides which can activate lymphocytes from subjects with a variety of class II HLA types are interesting diagnostic and vaccine candidates. In this study we generated T helper clones reactive to the permissively recognized p21–40 and p91–110 peptides of the 16-kD heat shock protein of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. All the clones specific for p91–110 secreted interferon-gamma (IFN-γ) and were of the Th1 phenotype. By contrast, the p21–40 peptide favoured the generation of IL-4-producing clones. Antibody blockade established that the peptide-specific Th clones could either be DR-, DP- or DQ-restricted. Thus, two permissively recognized sequences p21–40 and p91–110 from the same mycobacterial antigen can drive the differentiation of functionally distinct T helper subsets. Attempts to immunize against tuberculosis should bear in mind epitope specificity if a favourable Th subtype response is to be generated.
Effects of bucillamine and N-acetyl-l-cysteine on cytokine production and collagen-induced arthritis (CIA)
Authors: TSUJI F , MIYAKE Y , AONO H , KAWASHIMA Y , MITA S 
Published: March 2003

SUMMARYWe investigated the effects of bucillamine and N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC) on cytokine production and CIA. Bucillamine and NAC inhibited NF-κB activation and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) mRNA expression in human monocytic leukaemia cell line THP-1, and cytokine production from monocyte cell lines at concentrations &gt;10−3 m. They also inhibited cytokine production and CIA in mice at a dose of 500 mg/kg. These results suggest that NF-κB inhibitors such as bucillamine and NAC may inhibit cytokine-related diseases, including arthritis.
CD40 engagement modulates the production of matrix metalloproteinases by gingival fibroblasts
Authors: WASSENAAR A , VERSCHOOR T , KIEVITS F , DEN HARTOG M T , KAPSENBERG M L , EVERTS V , SNIJDERS A 
Published: March 2003

SUMMARYChronic periodontitis is a destructive inflammatory disease linked with unbalanced production between matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), such as interstitial collagenase (MMP-1) and stromelysin-1 (MMP-3) and their endogenous tissue inhibitors of MMPs (TIMPs). In addition to aberrant MMP-1 and MMP-3 expression, periodontal lesions are characterized by dense infiltrations of activated T lymphocytes which may interact with CD40-expressing gingival fibroblasts in the connective tissue via the CD40L-CD40 pathway. In this study we investigated whether CD40 cross-linking influenced MMP production by gingival fibroblasts. Therefore, we analysed the CD40L-induced MMP production by these fibroblasts in the presence of cytokines that are increased in periodontal lesions, such as IL-1β, tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and interferon-gamma (IFN-γ). We show that CD40 ligation on gingival fibroblasts resulted in a decrease of their MMP-1 and MMP-3 production, while MMP-2 and TIMP-1 production were unaffected as determined by Western blot. This down-regulatory effect of CD40 engagement on MMP-1 and MMP-3 production by gingival fibroblasts was also present when MMP production was up-regulated by IL-1β and TNF-α or down-regulated by IFN-γ. These results suggest that CD40 ligation on gingival fibroblasts leads to a restraining of MMP-1 and MMP-3 production by gingival fibroblasts and thereby may be an important mechanism in the retardation of further periodontal tissue damage.