Polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid (poly I:C) is a synthetic double-stranded RNA that is used experimentally to model viral infections in vivo. Previous studies investigating the inflammatory properties of this agent in rodents demonstrated that it is a potent pyrogen. However, the mechanisms underlying this response have not been fully elucidated. In the current study, we examined the effects of ...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the effects of an interleukin 1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA) on the development of immune-mediated ocular inflammation in mice. METHODS Recombinant, human, nonglycosylated IL-1RA (anakinra [kineret]) was tested for its inhibitory effects in 2 systems: (1) experimental autoimmune uveitis induced by interphotoreceptor retinoid-binding protein in B10.A mice using routine pr...

Recombinant human interleukin 1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) and 35F5, a neutralizing monoclonal antibody (mAb) to the type I mouse IL-1 receptor, were examined for their ability to bind to IL-1 receptors (IL-1Rs) on various types of mouse cells and to block immune and inflammatory responses to IL-1 in vitro and in mice. IL-1ra competed for binding of 125I-IL-1 alpha to type I IL-1R present on ...

Uncontrolled hepatic immunoactivation is regarded as the primary pathological mechanism of fulminant hepatic failure (FHF). The major acute-phase mediators associated with FHF, including IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α, impair the regeneration of liver cells and stem cell grafts. Amniotic-fluid-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AF-MSCs) have the capacity, under specific conditions, to differentiate into h...

There is strong evidence for the involvement of inflammatory mediators such as interleukin (IL)-1 in the biochemical mechanisms of parturition. Therefore the effects of the IL-1 family (IL-1alpha (1 ng/ml), IL-1beta (1 ng/ml) and the IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) (10 ng/ml)) on the regulation of prostaglandin synthesis in term human fetal membranes were investigated. It was found that, afte...

Although several studies have dealt with the patterns of cytokine production in tuberculosis, little is known about the association between nutrient deficiencies and cytokines in tuberculosis. The objective of this study was to assess the concentration of cytokines related to nutritional status during tuberculosis. In 41 untreated tuberculosis patients and matched healthy controls in an urban h...

Neutrophils, an abundant cell type at sites of inflammation, have the ability to produce a number of cytokines, including interleukin 1 (IL-1), IL-8, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha). In this study, we have examined the ability of human neutrophils to produce the IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra), a 17-23-kD protein recently ...

BACKGROUND The time course and relationship between circulating and local cytokine concentrations, pancreatic inflammation, and organ dysfunction in acute pancreatitis are largely unknown. PATIENTS AND METHODS In a prospective clinical study, we measured the proinflammatory cytokines interleukin (IL)-1 beta, IL-6 and IL-8, the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10, interleukin 1 beta receptor anta...

The influence of acute mental stress on cardiovascular responses and concentrations of inflammatory cytokines up to 2 h later was assessed in 12 subjects exposed to stress and in eight control subjects. Beat-by-beat recordings of finger blood pressure and heart rate were made at rest and during two behavioural tasks (colour-word interference and mirror tracing). Blood was drawn after adaptation...

BACKGROUND A growing body of evidences suggests that the ovary is a site of inflammatory reactions, and thus, ovarian cells could represent sources and targets of the interleukin-1 (IL-1) system. The purpose of this study was to examine the IL-1 system gene expressions in equine granulosa cells, and to study the IL-1beta content in follicular fluid during the follicle maturation. For this purpo...