0000000000084495

AUTHOR

G. Chiappara

Lung Compartmentalization of Increased TNF Releasing Ability by Mononuclear Phagocytes in Pulmonary Sarcoidosis

The TNF is a monokine with cytotoxic and tumor-necrosing activities; in addition, TNF may play a role in inflammatory processes. The present study evaluates spontaneous and LPS-mediated release of TNF by AMs and autologous peripheral BMs of normal subjects and patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis. A recently developed cytotoxicity assay, specific for detection of TNF activity, was applied. This study demonstrates that (1) unstimulated mononuclear phagocytes released low levels of TNF with no differences between groups; (2) when effector cells were stimulated with LPS, AMs from patients with active pulmonary sarcoidosis released more TNF than AMs recovered from normal subjects and from patien…

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Effect of indomethacin on the kinetics of tumour necrosis factor alpha release and tumour necrosis factor alpha gene expression by human blood monocytes

Summary In this investigation we have examined the effects of indomethacin, an inhibitor of the cyclooxygenase pathway of arachidonic acid, upon the kinetics of the release of tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF) and of the expression of TNF gene by lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-stimulated human blood monocytes (BM). Following stimulation of BM with LPS, TNF was released within 2 h, reached peak values at 8 h and declined at subsequent time-points (24 and 48 h). Indomethacin (10−5 m ) slightly stimulated the production of TNF at 2, 4, and 8 h and prevented the decline of TNF observed at 24 and 48 h. This effect was related to the persistence of TNF synthesis, as demonstrated by kinetics evaluation…

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Antitumour activity of mononuclear phagocytes: role of tumour necrosis factor alpha.

Tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF) is a cytokine produced by mononuclear phagocytes (MP) originally discovered for its cytotoxic activity on tumour cell targets. It was subsequently demonstrated that, in addition to its oncolytic potential, TNF exerts a wide variety of activities on the host defensive system against malignancies. This article briefly reviews the current concepts on the role of TNF in the antitumour activity of MP.

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CD40 ligation induces stress-mediated apoptosis in bronchial epithelial cells

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Release of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) and fibronectin by alveolar macrophages in airway diseases

Abstract Asthma and chronic bronchitis are associated with airway remodelling, and airway macrophages are present in bronchial inflammation. TGF-β and fibronectin released by alveolar macrophages possess a fibrogenic potency. The potential role of alveolar macrophages in airway remodelling was studied in asthma and chronic bronchitis by the release of TGF-β and fibronectin. Alveolar macrophages were isolated by bronchoalveolar lavage in 14 control subjects, 14 asthmatics and 14 chronic bronchitics. The spontaneous and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)- or concanavalin A (Con A)-induced release of TGF-β and fibronectin was measured by ELISA. Alveolar macrophages from chronic bronchitics spontaneously…

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ICAM-1 and α3β1 expression by bronchial epithelial cells and theirin vitromodulation by inflammatory and anti-inflammatory mediators

Background: Adhesion molecules are involved in inflammatory and repair processes of the bronchial epithelium. ICAM-1 is mainly involved in inflammatory reactions, whereas integrins, such as α3β1, are mainly involved in repair processes. Methods: Using bronchial biopsies from 10 asthmatics and eight controls, we first evaluated by immunohistochemistry expression of α3β1 and ICAM-1 in intact and damaged epithelium. Then, using the human pulmonary epithelial cell line WI-26 VA, we studied, by flow-cytometry, the modulation of ICAM-1 and α3β1 expression, and, by ELISA, the release of fibronectin by proinflammatory cytokines, such as IL-5, and anti-inflammatory cytokines, such as IL-4, TGF-β, an…

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Alterated expression of leptin and its receptor in the epithelium of asthmatic patients

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CD40 ligation influences stress-mediated apoptosis in bronchial epithelial cells

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