Tumour necrosis factor-α, interferon-γ and interleukin-4 are critical cytokines in regulating the immune responses against infections and tumours. In this study, we investigated the effects of three cytokines on CD40 expression in Myb-transformed hematological cells and their regulatory roles in promoting these cells into dendritic cells. We observed that both interleukin-4 and interferon-γ inc...

Preoperative oral treatment with lactulose is used to prevent complications after surgery in patients with obstructive jaundice. The effect is perhaps the result of an inactivation of gut derived endotoxins but the exact mechanism of action is, however, unknown. Tumour necrosis factor is an important mediator of endotoxin toxicity. The cytokine tumour necrosis factor is mainly produced by monon...

The close chromosomal proximity of major histocompatibility complex and tumour necrosis factor genes may suggest the involvement of the latter in the pathogenesis of immunological diseases associated with HLA antigenes. The major histocompatibility complex antigens may play a certain role in the pathogenesis of lichen planus. Therefore we examined the -308 promoter polymorphism of tumour necros...

OBJECTIVES To elucidate the potential role of cytokines in the pathogenesis of cardiomyopathy and myocarditis. BACKGROUND Experimental studies show that certain cytokines depress myocardial contractility and that tumour necrosis factor-alpha plays an important part in the pathogenesis of myocardial injury in animal models of viral and autoimmune myocarditis. METHODS Plasma interleukin 1-alp...

OBJECTIVES Increased activity of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the circulation has been observed in many, though not all, patients with congestive heart failure. To identify the predictors of cytokine activation in congestive heart failure, we assessed the relationship of peripheral and hepatic venous cytokines to central haemodynamics, neuroendocrine status and intermediary metabolism in patie...