The mechanisms of liver damage in chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection are poorly understood. The transcription factor, nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappa B), regulates the expression of genes involved in apoptosis, inflammation, and antiviral response. It plays a protective role in several forms of liver damage. In this study, we analyzed NF-kappa B by gel mobility shift assay and immunohis...

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are used as signaling molecules in T cell activation. One of the main targets of ROS is the transcription factor nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappa B). NF-kappa B-dependent transcription is inhibited by antioxidants, and the activation is induced or potentiated by ROS. However, chronic oxidative stress is known to reduce the activation of T cells and NF-kappa B. To a...

The immunomodulatory effects of acute and chronic alcohol use are characterized by impaired antigen-specific immune activation and by increased susceptibility to infections due to alterations in innate immune responses and inflammatory mediator production. The central feature of cellular responses to inflammatory and stress signals is the activation of the nuclear regulatory kappa B/Rel family ...

Glucocorticoids are potent antiinflammatory drugs. They inhibit the expression of proinflammatory cytokines and adhesion molecules. It has recently been proposed that the underlying basis to such inhibition is the induction of the protein I kappa B, which inhibits the transcription factor NF-kappa B. The latter is a key activator of the genes encoding cytokines and adhesion molecules. The prese...