Effects of apoptotic lymphocytes on proinflammatory cytokine secretion by hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cells / 南方医科大学学报

ABSTRACT

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effects of apoptotic lymphocytes on the secretion of cytokines by hepatic sinusoidal endothelial cells (HSEC).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Human HSEC cells were co-cultured for 16 h with allogenetic apoptotic lymphocytes induced by UVB irradiation. The supernatants were collected and the levels of interleukin-2, interferon-gamma, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha were detected by Luminex technique.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>All the cytokines were down-regulated by about 50% in HSECs after co-culture with the apoptotic lymphocytes as compared with those in the control group (P<0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Co-culture with apoptotic lymphocytes can down-regulate the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines in HSECs, which may contribute to tolerogenic microenvironment in the liver.</p>