Circulating levels of chemokines in patients with psoriasis vulgaris and their association with disease severity: A case–control study from North India

Background: Psoriasis is a chronic inflammatory skin disease characterized by hyperproliferation and incomplete differentiation of epidermis, and accumulation of neutrophils and proinflammatory T cells in epidermis and dermis. Chemokines are believed to be the main players mediating the chemotaxis of leucocytes to the lesional site. Previous studies have established the role of various chemokine ligands and receptors at the lesional site in psoriasis. Aims: In this study, we have compared the serum levels of various chemokines, namely, inducible protein-10 (IP-10) (CXCL10), MCP-1 (CCL-2), monokine induced by gamma interferon (MIG) (CXCL-9), RANTES (CCL5), interleukin (IL)-8, and eotaxin in patients with chronic plaque psoriasis with that of healthy controls. We also studied whether the chemokine levels varied within different patient groups based on various clinical and demographic parameters, and if any of these chemokines correlated with disease activity. Methods: We studied 40 patients with chronic plaque psoriasis from a single center. Their clinical and demographic details were recorded in predesigned prforma. Patients with unstable forms of psoriasis like guttate, erythrodermic, or pustular psoriasis were excluded. The serum chemokine levels were measured by flow cytometry–based bead array set system. The serum levels of the patients were compared with that of 25 healthy controls. A subgroup analysis was also done to study the correlation of chemokine levels with age, sex, duration, and severity of disease. Results: We observed a significant decrease in serum level of all these chemokines in patients, when compared with that of healthy controls. We also found that MIG levels showed a positive correlation with disease severity based on Psoriasis Area and Severity Index. Limitations: The major limitation of the study is lack of data on the lesional chemokine levels compared to serum chemokines. Conclusion: The inflammatory process in psoriasis is orchestrated through chemokines. MIG is a potential serum biomarker for assessing disease severity.

The function of entecavir to Mig in patients with chronic hepatitis / 国际检验医学杂志

Objective To investigate the function of entecavir to γ‐interferon induced monokine(Mig) for chronic hepatitis B pa‐tients .Methods The 40 cases of chronic hepatitis B patients were treated with entecavir tablet .The Mig level were detected by ELISA in 40 patients in the time before and after treatment of 12 weeks and 24 weeks ;HBsAg ,HBeAg level were analyzed by using electrochemiluminescence and HBV‐DNA was tested by using real‐time quantitative PCR (FQ‐PCR) .Results Mig and HBsAg , HBeAg ,HBV DNA levels were significantly lower than before treatment in the 40 patients(P< 0 .05) .Compared with those in the time of 12 weeks after treatment ,those indexes after treatment 24 weeks were significantly decreased(P< 0 .05) .Conclusion Ente‐cavir treatment can reduce the level of Mig ,HBsAg and HBeAg ,HBV DNA ,and help to control disease progression in chronic hep‐atitis B .

Detection of Mig in serum and CXCR3 on lymphocytes of peripheral blood of infants with bronchiolitis / 临床儿科杂志

ObjectiveTo explore the expression of monokine induced by interferon- γ(Mig) in serum and chemokine receptor 3(CXCR3)on lymphocytes of peripheral blood in children with bronchiolitis.MethodsIn this study, 55 patients with bronchiolitis in our hospital were randomly recuited, and were divided into two groups: atopic group and non-atopic group. Of the same age 26 healthy children had been enrolled randomly as control group. The level of CXCR3 expression (CD183) on lymphocytes of peripheral blood was detected by lfow cytometry in all children. The level of Mig in serum was assayed by ELISA.ResultsThe level of CD183 expression on the CD3+CD4+T lymphocytes in atopic group and non-atopic group(16.39±4.13%,14.39±3.74 %)were higher than that of control group(11.17±3.13%,P<0.05),CD183+CD4+/CD4+% in atopic group were higher than that in non-atopic group(P<0.05). The level of CD183 expression on CD3+CD8+T lymphocytes in atopic group and non-atopic group(67.18±10.57 %, 61.44±11.46 %)were higher than that of control group(51.19±5.42 %, P<0.05),CD183+CD8+/CD8+% in atopic group were signiifcantly higher than that in non-atopic group(P<0.05). The level of Mig in serum of children with bronchiolitis in atopic group and non-atopic group(99.67±35.77ng/L, 120.28±32.28ng/L)were signiifcantly higher than that in control group(63.90±15.82 ng/L,P<0.05). The level of Mig in non-atopic group was higher than that in atopic group, there was signiifcant difference(P<0.05).ConclusionsMig and CXCR3 are involved in the pathogenesis of bronchiolitis, and CXCR3 may relate to allergic factors.

The Implication of Monocyte/Macrophage into the Graft Following Heart Transplantation in Rat

BACKGROUND: In organ transplantation, the cellular immune reaction, namely T-cell immunity, plays a major role in rejecting the graft. While T & B cell activities in organ transplantation have been studied extensively, monocytes/macrophages have not because of their a minor role in innate immunity. Monocytes act as immunologically active cells in several aspects in organ transplantation, such as antigen-presenting cells, cells releasing many substance, such as IL-1, IL-2, TNF-alpha, and many growth factors, and cells phagocytosing foreign antigens and tissues in the effector phase of immune reaction. METHODS: We attempted to study the role of monocytes/ macrophages in graft rejection following allogenic organ transplantation in rodents. RESULTS: While graft survivals following a cardiac allograft were more then 100 days in all the singenic Wistar to Wistar transplants, the graft survival for Lewis to Wistar allografts were 7 to 12 days with a mean of 9.2 days. In the histology of the transplanted hearts, cellular infiltration developed from posttransplantation day 1, and all the histologic findings, such as myocardial ischemia, interstitial bleeding, and endocardial changes, were more progressive around the days of graft rejection. Macrophage infiltration analyzed by immunohistochemstry using the spectific antibody ED1, was noticed from postoperative day 1, and the macrophages were distributed all through the layer of the heart. In the study on the intragraft monokine gene by using RT-PCR, mRNA of IL-1 expressed on day 1 and reappearedon day 7. mRNA of TNF-alphaexpressed on day 3 and MCP-1 on day 1. All the monokine gene expressions progressed up to the days of rejection. CONCLUSION: From these results showing the concurrent pattern of cell infiltration and intragraft cytokine gene expression of monocytes/macrophages with the lymphocyte, we suggest that intervention of monocytes in organ transplantation may prolong graft survival with or without the anti T cell strategy.

Spontaneous expression of mRNA for IL - 10, GM - CSF and TNF - alpha in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with atopic dermatitis / 천식및알레르기

BACKGROUND: Monocytes and T helper cells play major roles in the immunologic dysfunction of atopic dermatitis (AD). Many studies have been done on the cytokine pattern to evaluate abnormalities or differences of immune cells in AD, but the results were conflicting among studies and most of these previous reports were performed with various kinds of mitogen-stimulation. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate spontaneous cytokine pattern in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from patients with AD. We focused on the expression of monokines that had effects on monocytes and T cells. METHODS: We measured mRNA expression of IL-10, GM-CSF and TNF-alpha in freshly isolated PBMC with semiquantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The intensity of cytokine cDNA was normalized to that of beta-actin product as a standard marker. RESULTS: IL-10 mRNA expression was significantly enhanced in AD compared:with control subjects (p<0.05). Spontaneous mRNA expression of TNF-alpha was significantly lower in AD patients (p <0.01). The level of GM-CSF mRNA expression was heterogeneous and spontaneous mRNA expression was slightly increased in AD although the difference did not reach the level of statistical significance. CONCLUSION: Our data was able to represent in vivo cytokine expression state of PBMC in atopic dermatitis. Increased expression of IL-10 and GM-CSF may have been associated with monocyte dysfunction in AD although increase in the expression of GM-CSF mRNA was not statistically significant. TNF-alpha mRNA expression was decreased in AD and increased IL-10 was suggested to exert an inhibitory effect on the expression of TNF-alpha mRNA.