IL-33 is a novel member of the IL-1 cytokine family and a potent inducer of type 2 immunity, as mast cells and Th2 CD4+ T cells respond to IL-33 with the induction of type 2 cytokines such as IL-13. IL-33 mRNA levels are extremely high in the CNS, and CNS glia possess both subunits of the IL-33R, yet whether IL-33 is produced by and affects CNS glia has not been studied. Here, we demonstrate th...

The link between IL-13 and bronchial hyper-responsiveness has brought this cytokine as a potential therapeutic target for asthma and allergic diseases. At the present study, we address the role of B cell derived IL-13 in the IgE and other immunoglobulin development. Antisense oligo for human IL-13 mRNA was used to study IgE down regulation. Human B-lymphocytes were purified by positive selectio...

Lsk is a protein tyrosine kinase with homology to the COOH-terminal Src kinase (Csk). Unlike Csk that is ubiquitously expressed, Lsk has limited tissue distribution. Here we have examined the expression and regulation of Lsk and Csk in peripheral human monocytes. We have found that Lsk mRNA and protein were not expressed in resting monocytes but were induced by treatment with interleukin 4 (IL-...

The present study was designed to explore the interaction of interleukin-13 (IL-13) with vascular endothelial cells (EC). In vitro exposure to IL-13 of human umbilical vein EC induced surface expression of vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1). At optimal concentrations (10 to 50 ng/mL) and exposure times (24 hours), IL-13 was a twofold to threefold less effective inducer of VCAM-1 than IL...

Human stanniocalcin-1 (STC1) is a paracrine factor associated with inflammation and carcinogenesis. The role of STC1 in the pro- anti-inflammatory functions differentiating macrophage, however, not clear. In this study, our data showed that phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) treatment induced human leukemia monocytic cells (ThP-1) differentiation to M0 macrophages. was accompanied by signifi...

OBJECTIVE Monocytes/macrophages, proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines are important in the pathogenesis of glomerulonephritis. Interleukin (IL) -13 has been shown to exert potent anti-inflammatory properties. This study was designed to investigate the effect of IL-13 on the expression of proinflammatory cytokines, chemokines and profibrogenic cytokines and the involved molecular mechanism i...

BACKGROUND One of the most challenging conditions in Crohn's disease (CD) patients is the treatment of perianal fistulae. We have recently shown that epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) plays a crucial role during CD-fistulae development. Dickkopf-homolog 1 (DKK-1) is known to play a key role during EMT. Here, we investigated a role for DKK-1 in the pathogenesis of CD-associated fistulae...

The murine calcium binding protein S100A8 (A8) is a leukocyte chemoattractant, but high levels may be protective and scavenge hypochlorite. A8 is induced by LPS, IFN-gamma, and TNF in elicited macrophages. Th2 cytokines generally suppress proinflammatory gene expression, and IL-4 and IL-13 partially decreased A8 induction in macrophages and endothelial cells stimulated by LPS or IFN. In contras...

Interleukin-13 (IL-13) and IL-4 are cytokines produced by T cells that are encoded by the q23-31 region of human chromosome 5. To investigate the regulation of IL-13 gene expression by T cells, we isolated and sequenced the human IL-13 gene, analyzed its 5'-flanking region for potential transcriptional activation elements, and examined its expression in nontransformed T-lineage cell populations...

Mast cells secrete multiple cytokines and play an important role in allergic inflammation. Although it is widely accepted that bacteria infection occasionally worsens allergic airway inflammation, the mechanism has not been defined. In this study, we show that LPS induced Th2-associated cytokine production such as IL-5, IL-10, and IL-13 from mast cells and also synergistically enhanced producti...