The role of cytokines in the pathogenesis of cutaneous lupus erythematosus

Cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE) is an inflammatory disease with a broad range of cutaneous manifestations that may be accompanied by systemic symptoms. The pathogenesis of CLE is complex, multifactorial and incompletely defined. Below we review the current understanding of the cytokines involved in these processes. Ultraviolet (UV) light plays a central role in the pathogenesis of CLE, triggering keratinocyte apoptosis, transport of nucleoprotein autoantigens to the keratinocyte cell surface and the release of inflammatory cytokines (including interferons (IFNs), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1, IL-6, IL-8, IL-10 and IL-17). Increased IFN, particularly type I IFN, is central to the development of CLE lesions. In CLE, type I IFN is produced in response to nuclear antigens, immune complexes and UV light. Type I IFN increases leukocyte recruitment to the skin via inflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and adhesion molecules, thereby inducing a cycle of cutaneous inflammation. Increased TNFα in CLE may also cause inflammation. However, decreasing TNFα with an anti-TNFα agent can induce CLE-like lesions. TNFα regulates B cells, increases the production of inflammatory molecules and inhibits the production of IFN-α. An increase in the inflammatory cytokines IL-1, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17 and IL-18 and a decrease in the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-12 also act to amplify inflammation in CLE. Specific gene mutations may increase the levels of these inflammatory cytokines in some CLE patients. New drugs targeting various aspects of these cytokine pathways are being developed to treat CLE and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).     

Immune modulation by interleukin-12 in tumor-bearing mice receiving vitamin D3 treatments to block induction of immunosuppressive granulocyte/macrophage progenitor cells

 Lewis lung carcinoma (LLC-LN7) tumors stimulate myelopoiesis and increase the presence of granulocyte/macrophage (GM) progenitor cells having natural suppressor activity. Treatment of these tumor-bearing mice with interleukin-12 (IL-12) resulted in minimal immune modulation. The objective of this study was to determine whether eliminating natural suppressor activity would allow for immune stimulation by IL-12. Treatment of LLC-LN7 tumor-bearing mice with vitamin D₃ eliminated natural suppressor activity. In mice that were first treated with vitamin D₃ and then also with IL-12, there was stimulation of splenic T cell proliferation in response to immobilized anti-CD3 plus IL-2. In addition, spleen and lymph node cells from vitamin-D₃/IL-12-treated tumor-bearing mice became stimulated in response to autologous tumor to produce interferon γ (IFNγ), although IL-2 production was not stimulated. A prominent effect of the combined vitamin-D₃/IL-12 treatment regimen was the synergistic augmentation of autologous tumor-specific cytolytic activity within the regional lymph nodes. The generation of these tumor-specific effector cells required the presence of the tumor mass since such activity was not elicited in the lymph nodes of mice from which the tumors had been surgically excised. The results of this study show that, after treatment of tumor bearers with vitamin D₃ to eliminate GM-suppressor cells, IL-12 can induce select regional antitumor immune responses, particularly IFNγ production and cytolysis by regional lymph node cells of autologous tumor. Received: 15 December 1995 / Accepted: 22 March 1996     

Targeting respiratory complex I to prevent the Warburg effect

In the last 10 years, studies of energetic metabolism in different tumors clearly indicate that the definition of Warburg effect, i.e. the glycolytic shift cells undergo upon transformation, ought to be revisited considering the metabolic plasticity of cancer cells. In fact, recent findings show that the shift from glycolysis to re-established oxidative metabolism is required for certain steps of tumor progression, suggesting that mitochondrial function and, in particular, respiratory complex I are crucial for metabolic and hypoxic adaptation. Based on these evidences, complex I can be considered a lethality target for potential anticancer strategies. In conclusion, in this mini review we summarize and discuss why it is not paradoxical to develop pharmacological and genome editing approaches to target complex I as novel adjuvant therapies for cancer treatment.This article is part of a Directed Issue entitled: Energy Metabolism Disorders and Therapies.     

Regulation of karyotype stability in tobacco tissue cultures of normal and tumorous genotypes

Summary Callus cultures of Nicotiana glauca, N. langsdorffii and of their tumor-forming hybrid plants contained a high frequency of cells with irregular chromosome numbers and chromosome aberrations (hypo-, hyper-, polyploid, aneuploid cells; bridges, polytene, broken, fragmented chromosomes, megachromosomes, etc.). Meristematic cells of shoot tips regenerated from the same cultures contained only regular chromosome numbers with normal chromosome structures. Variability in chromosome numbers is a consequence of abnormal mitoses. The data suggest genome segregation in the cultures. Cytological instability appears to be independent of genome segregation composition, genotype, tumorous condition, hormonal requirement and level of ploidy. The karyotype stability of the cultures is only dependent on the degree of organization of tissues and is regulated by factors involved in the control mechanisms of organizational processes.     

Production of C3 as a marker of lymphokine-mediated macrophage activation

C3 production was assayed using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in cell-free supernatants harvested from thioglycollate-elicited macrophages exposed to a variety of macrophage stimulating and activating agents. Macrophage monolayers treated with the stimulating agents starch, glycogen, and zymosan secreted three- to four-fold less C3 (mean 12 ng/10(5) cells/12 hr) than macrophages exposed to lymphokines containing macrophage-activating factor (MAF) (mean C3 production 44 ng/10(5) cells/12 hr). The increased production of C3 in macrophages exposed to MAF parallels the ability of these macrophages to acquire tumoricidal capacity as monitored in an in vitro 72 hr tumor cell cytotoxicity assay using B16 melanoma cells. Macrophages previously rendered tumoricidal by exposure to MAF and which are refractory to further challenge by MAF following decay of their tumoricidal properties, do not produce C3 on rechallenge with MAF. Exposure of refractory macrophages to liposome-encapsulated MAF overcomes the refractory state and induces re-expression of the tumoricidal phenotype and C3 production. We conclude that quantitative detection of macrophage-generated C3 antigen provides a useful biochemical marker for monitoring the acquisition of tumoricidal properties in macrophages exposed to MAF and offers a sensitive assay for screening novel agents that activate macrophages via mechanisms similar to MAF.     

外泌体作为肿瘤标志物的研究进展

外泌体是细胞内源性囊泡样生物纳米级膜结构,直径大小在40～100 nm之间,可由各种类型的细胞分泌释放。外泌体具有许多功能,如蛋白质、mRNA、miRNA和脂类的细胞间运输和传递,以及抗原递呈,还可能具有致癌的能力。肿瘤细胞所分泌释放的外泌体在肿瘤的发生、发展以及迁移等生理和病理过程中发挥重要的作用。目前从肿瘤外泌体中寻找特异性标志物已成为肿瘤研究者重点关注的方向,对肿瘤早期诊断、疗效评价和预后分析具有重要的意义。就近年来外泌体在肿瘤研究和诊断中的研究进展进行了综述。     

呼吸窘迫综合征早产儿血清VA、PCT、TNF-α及CRP水平的表达及临床意义

目的:探讨呼吸窘迫综合征(RDS)早产儿血清维生素A(VA)、降钙素原(PCT)、肿瘤坏死因子-α(TNF-α)及C反应蛋白(CRP)水平的表达及临床意义。方法:选取2015年2月～2018年5月期间青岛市妇女儿童医院收治的90例RDS早产儿纳入观察组,根据RDS分级将观察组分为轻度组48例,中重度组42例。另选取同期于本院出生的非RDS早产儿35例作为对照组。根据血清VA水平将125例早产儿分为VA缺乏组(n=72),亚临床VA缺乏组(n=36),正常组(n=17)。比较观察组与对照组、轻度组与中重度组早产儿血清VA、PCT、TNF-α及CRP水平,比较不同血清VA水平早产儿的RDS发病情况,分析观察组早产儿血清VA与PCT、TNF-α及CRP水平的相关性。结果:观察组早产儿血清VA水平明显低于对照组(P0.05),而观察组早产儿血清PCT、TNF-α、CRP明显高于对照组(P0.05)。中重度组早产儿血清VA水平与轻度组比较差异无统计学意义(P0.05),而中重度组早产儿血清PCT、TNF-α、CRP水平明显高于轻度组(P0.05)。随着血清VA水平的升高,RDS发病率逐渐降低,组间比较差异有统计学意义(P0.05)。Pearson相关性分析显示,观察组早产儿血清VA与PCT、TNF-α及CRP水平无显著相关性(P0.05)。结论:RDS早产儿血清VA与PCT、TNF-α及CRP水平均存在明显异常,但四者无明显相关性,血清VA相对较低者更易发生RDS,临床可通过及时干预VA水平以降低RDS的发生风险。     

肺结核患者血清IFN-γ、Il-1β和TNF-α水平的临床检测价值分析

目的:研究肺结核患者血清γ干扰素(IFN-γ)、白介素-1β(Il-1β)以及肿瘤坏死因子-α(TNF-α)水平的临床检测价值。方法:选择2015年1月～2018年12月在北京市顺义区医院治疗的25例肺结核患者作为肺结核组,并且选择同期在该院进行体检的25例健康人作为对照组。采用酶联免疫吸附法(ELISA)检测并且比较肺结核组以及对照组研究对象的血清IFN-γ、Il-1β和TNF-α水平,比较痰菌阴性组(n=14例)以及痰菌阳性组(n=11例)、无空洞组(n=15例)以及有空洞组(n=10例)的血清IFN-γ、Il-1β、TNF-α水平。结果:肺结核组患者的血清IFN-γ、Il-1β、TNF-α水平均明显高于对照组(P0.05);痰菌阳性组肺结核患者的血清IFN-γ、Il-1β、TNF-α水平均明显高于痰菌阴性组患者(P0.05);有空洞组肺结核患者的血清IFN-γ、Il-1β、TNF-α水平均明显高于无空洞组患者(P0.05)。结论:肺结核患者的血清IFN-γ、Il-1β和TNF-α水平明显高于健康者,有助于判断疾病进程,这些细胞因子可能在结核病的发病中发挥着重要的作用。     

沙丁胺醇联合福多司坦治疗慢性阻塞性肺疾病稳定期的疗效及对患者血清IL-6、TNF-α、hs-CRP水平的影响

目的:探讨沙丁胺醇联合福多司坦治疗慢性阻塞性肺疾病稳定期的临床疗效及对患者血清白细胞介素-6(IL-6)、肿瘤坏死因子α(TNF-α)、超敏c反应蛋白(hs-CRP)水平的影响。方法:选择2016年1月到2017年1月我院接诊的稳定期慢性阻塞性肺病患者100例作为研究对象,按照随机数表法分为观察组(n=51)和对照组(n=49)。对照组使用沙丁胺醇治疗,观察组采用沙丁胺醇联合福多司坦治疗。比较两组治疗后的疗效、治疗前后血清IL-6、TNF-α、hs-CRP、肺功能的变化及不良反应的发生情况。结果:治疗后,观察组临床疗效总有效率(94.12%)显著高于对照组(75.51%,P0.05)。两组患者治疗后血清IL-6、TNF-α、hs-CRP水平均治疗前均明显下降,且观察组患者血清IL-6、TNF-α、hs-CRP水平均明显低于对照组(P0.05);两组治疗后各第1秒用力呼气容积(FEV1)、用力肺活量(FVC)、最大呼气流量(PEF)较治疗前均显著升高(P0.05),且观察组FEV1、FVC、PEF均明显高于对照组(P0.05);两组患者不良反应总发生率分别19.61%、38.78%,观察组显著低于对照组(P0.05)。结论:沙丁胺醇联合福多司坦治疗慢性阻塞性肺疾病稳定期的临床疗效和安全性均显著优于单用沙丁胺醇治疗,可能与其有效改善患者血清IL-6、TNF-α、hs-CRP水平有关。