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Cytokine Dysregulation (cytokine + dysregulation)
Selected AbstractsCytokines and Cognition,The Case for A Head-to-Toe Inflammatory ParadigmJOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 12 2002Craig J. Wilson MBBS The brain is not only immunologically active of its own accord, but also has complex peripheral immune interactions. Given the central role of cytokines in neuroimmmunoendocrine processes, it is hypothesized that these molecules influence cognition via diverse mechanisms. Peripheral cytokines penetrate the blood-brain barrier directly via active transport mechanisms or indirectly via vagal nerve stimulation. Peripheral administration of certain cytokines as biological response modifiers produces adverse cognitive effects in animals and humans. There is abundant evidence that inflammatory mechanisms within the central nervous system (CNS) contribute to cognitive impairment via cytokine-mediated interactions between neurons and glial cells. Cytokines mediate cellular mechanisms subserving cognition (e.g., cholinergic and dopaminergic pathways) and can modulate neuronal and glial cell function to facilitate neuronal regeneration or neurodegeneration. As such, there is a growing appreciation of the role of cytokine-mediated inflammatory processes in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. Consistent with their involvement as mediators of bidirectional communication between the CNS and the peripheral immune system, cytokines play a key role in the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activation seen in stress and depression. In addition, complex cognitive systems such as those that underlie religious beliefs, can modulate the effects of stress on the immune system. Indirect means by which peripheral or central cytokine dysregulation could affect cognition include impaired sleep regulation, micronutrient deficiency induced by appetite suppression, and an array of endocrine interactions. Given the multiple levels at which cytokines are capable of influencing cognition it is plausible that peripheral cytokine dysregulation with advancing age interacts with cognitive aging. [source] Treatment of alcoholic hepatitisJOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY AND HEPATOLOGY, Issue 4 2002Jacquelyn J Maher Abstract, Alcoholic hepatitis is a common disease with an overall 1-year mortality of 20%. Although the classical treatment for alcoholic hepatitis is abstinence, in some individuals abstinence alone is inadequate to promote survival and recovery. This is particularly true of patients with severe alcoholic hepatitis, who are identified by jaundice, coagulopathy and neutrophilia. Within the last two decades, several agents have been examined as treatments for alcoholic hepatitis and cirrhosis. They have targeted several key processes in the pathophysiology of alcoholic liver disease, including hypermetabolism, inflammation, cytokine dysregulation and oxidant stress. The compounds that offer the greatest survival benefit to patients with severe alcoholic hepatitis are corticosteroids. Several groups have reported excellent results with corticosteroids, but positive results are not uniform, and there remains some controversy over their efficacy. Even if corticosteroids are beneficial for alcoholic hepatitis, they are not recommended for all patients at risk. Consequently, other agents are being tested that have broader applicability to individuals with contraindications to steroids. In this regard, pentoxifylline shows some promise, as does enteral feeding with medium chain triglycerides. Independent efforts are also being directed toward treatment of chronic alcoholic liver disease and alcoholic cirrhosis. Anti-oxidants have received the greatest attention; drugs such as S -adenosyl-methionine may be of benefit. This and others are under active study. © 2002 Blackwell Publishing Asia Pty Ltd [source] Spontaneous resolution of Epstein,Barr virus-associated hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis,PEDIATRIC BLOOD & CANCER, Issue 4 2010Brian Belyea MD Abstract Secondary hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (sHLH) is a reactive, proliferative disorder of the immune system resulting in lymphohistiocytic proliferation, hemophagocytosis, and cytokine dysregulation. The most common infectious trigger in sHLH is Epstein,Barr virus (EBV-HLH). Current treatment protocols for EBV-HLH have a cure rate of approximately 75%; however, there are significant toxicities associated with these therapies. We present two patients with EBV-HLH who experienced spontaneous resolution of their disease prior to the initiation of therapy, suggesting there may be a subgroup of patients with EBV-HLH who do well with conservative management and can avoid potentially toxic therapies. Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2010;55:754,756. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] HLA,B27 misfolding and the unfolded protein response augment interleukin-23 production and are associated with Th17 activation in transgenic ratsARTHRITIS & RHEUMATISM, Issue 9 2009Monica L. DeLay Objective To determine whether HLA,B27 misfolding and the unfolded protein response (UPR) result in cytokine dysregulation and whether this is associated with Th1 and/or Th17 activation in HLA,B27/human ,2 -microglobulin (Hu,2m),transgenic rats, an animal model of spondylarthritis. Methods Cytokine expression in lipopolysaccharide (LPS),stimulated macrophages was analyzed in the presence and absence of a UPR induced by chemical agents or by HLA,B27 up-regulation. Cytokine expression in colon tissue and in cells purified from the lamina propria was determined by real-time reverse transcription,polymerase chain reaction analysis, and differences in Th1 and Th17 CD4+ T cell populations were quantified after intracellular cytokine staining. Results Interleukin-23 (IL-23) was found to be synergistically up-regulated by LPS in macrophages undergoing a UPR induced by pharmacologic agents or by HLA,B27 misfolding. IL-23 was also increased in the colon tissue from B27/Hu,2m-transgenic rats concurrently with the development of intestinal inflammation, and IL-17, a downstream target of IL-23, exhibited robust up-regulation in a similar temporal pattern. IL-23 and IL-17 transcripts were localized to CD11+ antigen-presenting cells and CD4+ T cells, respectively, from the colonic lamina propria. Colitis was associated with a 6-fold expansion of CD4+ IL-17,expressing T cells. Conclusion The IL-23/IL-17 axis is strongly activated in the colon of B27/Hu,2m-transgenic rats with spondylarthritis-like disease. HLA,B27 misfolding and UPR activation in macrophages can result in enhanced induction of the pro-Th17 cytokine IL-23. These results suggest a possible link between HLA,B27 misfolding and immune dysregulation in this animal model, with implications for human disease. [source] Effector CD8+ T cells in systemic sclerosis patients produce abnormally high levels of interleukin-13 associated with increased skin fibrosisARTHRITIS & RHEUMATISM, Issue 4 2009Patrizia Fuschiotti Objective T lymphocytes play an important role in systemic sclerosis (SSc), a connective tissue disease characterized by inflammation, fibrosis, and vascular damage. While their precise role and antigen specificity are unclear, T cell,derived cytokines likely contribute to the induction of fibrosis. The aim of this study was to establish the role of cytokine dysregulation by T cells in the pathogenesis of SSc. Methods To identify relationships between a specific cytokine, T cell subset, and the disease course, we studied a large cohort of patients with diffuse cutaneous SSc (dcSSc) or limited cutaneous SSc (lcSSc). Using Luminex analysis and intracellular cytokine staining, we analyzed the intrinsic ability of CD4+ and CD8+ T cell subsets to produce cytokines following in vitro activation. Results High levels of the profibrotic type 2 cytokine interleukin-13 (IL-13) were produced following activation of peripheral blood effector CD8+ T cells from SSc patients as compared with normal controls or with patients with rheumatoid arthritis. In contrast, CD4+ T cells showed a lower and more variable level of IL-13 production. This abnormality correlated with the extent of fibrosis and was more pronounced in dcSSc patients than in lcSSc patients. Conclusion Dysregulated IL-13 production by effector CD8+ T cells is important in the pathogenesis of SSc and is critical in the predisposition to more severe forms of cutaneous disease. Our study is the first to identify a specific T cell phenotype that correlates with disease severity in SSc and can be used as a marker of immune dysfunction in SSc and as a novel therapeutic target. [source] Cryopyrin-associated periodic syndromes and autoinflammationCLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL DERMATOLOGY, Issue 1 2008K. Shinkai Summary Autoinflammatory syndromes are a distinct class of inherited diseases of cytokine dysregulation with important cutaneous features. Several disorders, including familial cold autoinflammatory syndrome (FCAS), Muckle,Wells syndrome and neonatal onset multisystem inflammatory disorder (NOMID), are associated with mutations in a common gene, CIAS-1. These disorders are now believed to represent related conditions along a spectrum of disease severity, in which FCAS is the mildest and NOMID is the most severe phenotype. Patients typically present with lifelong atypical urticaria with systemic symptoms, with potential for developing end-organ damage due to chronic inflammation. Advances in the understanding of the genetic basis of these syndromes have also revealed cytokine signalling molecules that are critical to normal regulation of inflammatory pathways. The dramatic response of these syndromes to anakinra, an interleukin (IL)-1 antagonist, highlights the important role of IL-1 cytokine signalling in the pathogenesis of this rare but fascinating class of diseases. [source] | ||||||||||