Interleukin (IL)-22, a novel human cytokine that signals through the interferon receptor-related proteins CRF2-4 and IL-22R

We report the identification of a novel human cytokine, distantly related to interleukin (IL)-10, which we term IL-22. IL-22 is produced by activated T cells. IL-22 is a ligand for CRF2-4, a member of the class II cytokine receptor family. No high affinity ligand has yet been reported for this receptor, although it has been reported to serve as a second component in IL-10 signaling. A new member of the interferon receptor family, which we term IL-22R, functions as a second component together with CRF2-4 to enable IL-22 signaling. IL-22 does not bind the IL-10R. Cell lines were identified that respond to IL-22 by activation of STATs 1, 3, and 5, but were unresponsive to IL-10. In contrast to IL-10, IL-22 does not inhibit the production of proinflammatory cytokines by monocytes in response to LPS nor does it impact IL-10 function on monocytes, but it has modest inhibitory effects on IL-4 production from Th2 T cells.     

Plasticity and cross-talk of interleukin 6-type cytokines

Interleukin (IL)-6-type cytokines are critically involved in health and disease. The duration and strength of IL-6-type cytokine-mediated signaling is tightly regulated to avoid overshooting activities. Here, molecular mechanisms of inter-familiar cytokine cross-talk are reviewed which regulate dynamics and strength of IL-6 signal transduction. Both plasticity and cytokine cross-talk are significantly involved in pro- and anti-inflammatory/regenerative properties of IL-6-type cytokines. Furthermore, we focus on IL-6-type cytokine/cytokine receptor plasticity and cross-talk exemplified by the recently identified composite cytokines IL-30/IL-6R and IL-35, the first inter-familiar IL-6/IL-12 family member. The complete understanding of the intra- and extracellular cytokine networks will aid to develop novel tailor-made therapeutic strategies with reduced side effects.     

Assignment of genes encoding a unique cytokine (IL12) composed of two unrelated subunits to chromosomes 3 and 5.

IL12 (formerly NKSF or CLMF) is a unique cytokine composed of two unrelated disulfide-linked subunits. The larger 40-kDa subunit (p40) is a member of the cytokine receptor family, and the smaller 35-kDa subunit (p35) is related to IL6 and GCSF. The chromosomal localization of these two subunits was determined by PCR analysis of DNA from rodent-human hybrids. More refined mapping was obtained by PCR analysis of hybrids containing translocation chromosomes and for p40, by analysis of radiation hybrids. The subunits map to different chromosomes: p40 (IL12B) to 5q31-q33 and p35 (IL12A) to 3p12-3q13.2.     

IL1HY1: A novel interleukin-1 receptor antagonist gene.

Interleukin-1 is a potent mediator of inflammation, involved in regulating a wide variety of physiological and cellular events. We have identified and characterized a novel member of the human interleukin-1 gene family (IL1HY1). The encoded protein demonstrates significant amino acid homology to the receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) at 52%. The gene was mapped to the long arm of chromosome 2, in close proximity to the IL-1 locus. IL1HY1 message is tightly regulated being most predominantly expressed in the skin, but also detected in the spleen, brain leukocyte, and macrophage cell types. Furthermore, the message can be induced in THP-1 cells by phorbol ester (PMA) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) treatment.     

IL 3 and IL 6 do not induce bone resorption in vitro

Bone resorption in vitro and in vivo can be induced by interleukin 1 (IL 1) and tumor necrosis factor (TNF), both of which are potent inflammatory cytokines. Additionally, there are other factors produced by cells which can active osteoclasts. Because diverse factors are involved in bone resorption, we examined the role of two other inflammatory cytokines, IL 3 and IL 6. IL 3 has been shown to induce the formation of osteoclast-like cells from precursors, while IL 6 is a potent mediator of inflammatory responses. Osteoclast activity in neonatal mouse calvaria was measured as 45Ca released into the supernatant fluid following a 48 hr incubation period with cytokine. Our results show that while parathyroid hormone (PTH) and IL 1 are potent inducers of bone resorption, neither IL 3 nor IL 6 displayed such activity.     

Lipopolysaccharide-dependent prostaglandin E(2) production is regulated by the glutathione-dependent prostaglandin E(2) synthase gene induced by the Toll-like receptor 4/MyD88/NF-IL6 pathway

Macrophages produce a large amount of PGE(2) during inflammation. This lipid mediator modulates various immune responses. PGE(2) acts on macrophages and inhibits production of cytokines such as TNF-alpha and IL-12. Membrane-bound glutathione-dependent PGE(2) synthase (mPGES) has been shown to be a terminal enzyme of the cyclooxygenase-2-mediated PGE(2) biosynthesis. Here we identified mPGES as a molecule that is induced by LPS in macrophages. The expression of mPGES was not induced by LPS in mice lacking Toll-like receptor 4 or MyD88. Furthermore, mice deficient in NF-IL6 showed neither induction of mPGES nor biosynthesis of PGE(2) in response to LPS, indicating that mPGES expression in response to LPS is regulated by a Toll-like receptor 4/MyD88/NF-IL6-dependent signaling pathway. We generated mPGES-deficient mice and investigated the role of mPGES in vivo. The mice showed no augmentation of the PGE(2) production in response to LPS. However, they were not impaired in the LPS-induced production of inflammatory cytokines and showed normal response to the LPS-induced shock. Thus, mPGES is critically involved in the biosynthesis of PGE(2) induced by LPS, but is dispensable for the modulation of inflammatory responses.     

Activation of human bronchial epithelial cells by inflammatory cytokines IL‐27 and TNF‐α: Implications for immunopathophysiology of airway inflammation

Interleukin (IL)‐27 is a member of IL‐6/IL‐12 family cytokines produced by antigen‐presenting cells in immune responses. IL‐27 can drive the commitment of naive T cells to a T helper type 1 (Th1) phenotype and inhibit inflammation in later phases of infection. Human bronchial epithelial cells have been shown to express IL‐27 receptor complex. In this study, we investigated the in vitro effects of IL‐27, alone or in combination with inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor (TNF)‐α on the pro‐inflammatory activation of human primary bronchial epithelial cells and the underlying intracellular signaling mechanisms. IL‐27 was found to enhance intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM‐1) expression on the surface of human bronchial epithelial cells, and a synergistic effect was observed in the combined treatment of IL‐27 and TNF‐α on the expression of ICAM‐1. Although IL‐27 did not alter the basal IL‐6 secretion from bronchial epithelial cells, it could significantly augment TNF‐α‐induced IL‐6 release. These synergistic effects on the up‐regulation of ICAM‐1 and IL‐6 were partially due to the elevated expression of TNF‐α receptor (p55TNFR) induced by IL‐27. Further investigations showed that the elevation of ICAM‐1 and IL‐6 in human bronchial epithelial cells stimulated by IL‐27 and TNF‐α was differentially regulated by phosphatidylinositol 3‐OH kinase (PI3K)‐Akt, p38 mitogen‐activated protein kinase, and nuclear factor‐κB pathways. Our results therefore provide a new insight into the molecular mechanisms involved in airway inflammation. J. Cell. Physiol. 223:788–797, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Carbamoylcholine chloride induces a rapid increase in IL6 in the nasal cavity of C57BL/6 mice

Mice are widely used as models to study the roles of chemokines and cytokines in immune and inflammatory responses. In our work to determine the basal levels of cytokines in saliva, nasal wash fluid (NWF), bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), and serum of mice, we found that injection of carbamoylcholine chloride, used to stimulate saliva production, induced variations in the interleukin (IL) 6 levels of NWF and BALF supernatants. To characterize this response, C57BL/6 mice were given 10 microg carbamoylcholine chloride intraperitoneally and euthanized at 0, 1, 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, 72, and 96 h after injection. IL6 was increased in NWF supernatants by 2 to 3 h, remained elevated for 24 h, and declined by 48 h after injection. To determine whether carbamoylcholine chloride increased Th1 cytokine (IL2, IL12[p70], and interferon gamma), Th2 cytokine (IL4, IL5, and IL10), granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), or proinflammatory cytokine (IL1beta, tumor necrosis factor alpha, and IL6 in saliva and serum) levels, mice were given 10 microg carbamoylcholine chloride and euthanized. In 47 mice, all cytokine levels in saliva supernatants, NWF supernatants, BALF supernatants, and serum were within normal reported levels (range, 1 to 364 pg/ml); in the serum of the remaining 3 mice, GM-CSF, IL1beta, and IL2 levels were increased. In summary, carbamoylcholine chloride induces a rapid, elevated IL6 response in the nasal cavity and respiratory tract of mice but does not alter the levels of other Th1, Th2, or proinflammatory cytokines.     

Transcription factors NF-IL6 and CREB recognize a common essential site in the human prointerleukin 1 beta gene.

A site located between -2782 and -2729 of the human prointerleukin-1 beta (IL1B) gene functions as a strong lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-responsive enhancer independent of the previously identified enhancer located between -2896 and -2846 (F. Shirakawa, K. Saito, C.A. Bonagura, D.L. Galson, M. J. Fenton, A. C. Webb, and P. E. Auron, Mol. Cell. Biol. 13:1332-1344, 1993). Although these two enhancers appear to function cooperatively in the native sequence context, they function independently as LPS-responsive elements upon removal of an interposed silencer sequence. The new enhancer is not induced by dibutyryl cyclic AMP (dbcAMP) alone but is superinduced by costimulation with LPS-dbcAMP. This pattern of induction depends upon the nature of the sequence, a composite NF-IL6-cAMP response element (CRE) binding site. This pseudosymmetrical sequence is shown to contrast with a classical symmetric CRE which responds to dbcAMP but not LPS. DNA binding studies using in vivo nuclear extract, recombinant proteins, and specific antibodies show that LPS induces the formation of two different complexes at the enhancer: (i) an NF-IL6-CREB heterodimer and (ii) a heterodimer consisting of NF-IL6 and a non-CREB, CRE-binding protein. Cotransfection studies using NF-IL6 and CREB expression vectors show that NF-IL6 transactivates the enhancer in the presence of LPS, whereas CREB acts either positively or negatively, depending upon its cAMP-regulated phosphorylation state. Our data demonstrate that the newly identified enhancer is a specialized LPS-responsive sequence which can be modulated by cAMP as a result of the involvement of NF-IL6-CRE-binding protein heterodimers.     

IL6 and IL1B polymorphisms are associated with fat mass in older men: the MrOS Study Sweden

There is growing evidence that immune functions are linked to the regulation of body fat. Our studies of knockout mice indicate that both endogenous interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-1 can suppress mature-onset obesity. We now investigated whether four common polymorphisms of the IL6 and IL1 systems are associated with the fat mass measured with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) in elderly men (n = 3,014). The study subjects were from the Swedish part of the MrOS multicenter population study and 69-81 years of age. The IL6 -174 G>C (Minor allele frequency (MAF) = 48%) gene promoter polymorphism was associated with the primary outcome total fat mass (P = 0.006) and regional fat masses, but not with lean body mass. The IL1B -31T>C (MAF = 34%) polymorphism was also associated with total fat (P = 0.007) and regional fat masses, but not lean body mass. The IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) gene (IL1RN) +2018 T>C (MAF = 27%) polymorphism (in linkage disequilibrium (LD) with a well-studied variable number tandem repeat of 86 base pair (bp)) and IL1B +3953 C>T (MAF = 26%) polymorphism were not associated with total fat mass. In conclusion, the IL-1 and IL-6 systems, shown to suppress mature-onset obesity in experimental animals, contain gene polymorphisms that are associated with fat, but not lean, mass in elderly men.