Expression of Pigment Epithelium-derived Factor in Bladder Tumour Is Correlated with Interleukin-8 yet Not with Interleukin-1α

Pigment epithelium-derived factor （PEDF） is an antiangiogenic factor which is effective in tumour inhibition in a variety of tumours and has not yet been studied in bladder tumour before. In this study the expression of PEDF, interleukin-1α （IL-1α） and -8 （IL-8） in bladder tumours was investigated. Immunohistochemistry was performed on 64 bladder tumour and 23 normal uroepithelium samples. Expression change of the factors was compared with clinicopathological parameters. Correlations between PEDF, IL-1α and IL-8 were analyzed. None of the factors was in relation to gender, tumour occurrence, and size or onset pattern. PEDF （P=0.014） and IL-1α （P=0.049） expression was down-regulated with grade progression. PEDF expression was lower in normal uroepithelium than in papillary urothelial neoplasm of low malignant potential （PUNLMP） （P=0.000） and carcinoma （P=0.009） whilst IL-1α （P=0.000 and P=0.000 respectively） and IL-8 （P=0.000 and P=0.023 respectively） expression was higher in the same grouping. PEDF expression had a negative correlation with IL-8 in PUNLMP （P=0.049, r=-0.578） as well as in tumour grouping （P=0.033, r=-0.276）. Deranged expressional change of PEDF, IL-1α and IL-8 could be in relation to loss of differentiation from normal uroepithelium to papillary lesion and eventually to carcinoma.

Cytotoxic effect of interleukin-8 in retinal ganglion cells and its possible mechanisms

AIM： To investigate the effect of interleukin-8（IL-8） on neural retinal ganglion cells（RGCs） and whether it can be alleviated by G31P. METHODS： RGC-5 cells were exposed to IL-8 with or without its specific receptor antagonist G31P for 24h, and the cell viability was assessed by Cell Counting Kit 8（CCK-8）. Apoptosis was measured by examining nuclear morphology and quantifying with flow cytometry. Reverse transcription quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction（RT-qP CR） and Western blot were used to investigate the expression of apoptosis-related genes. RESULTS： CCK-8 assay showed that IL-8 significantly inhibits the viability of RGC-5 cells in a dose-dependent manner. Cell apoptosis assays exhibited higher apoptotic rate in IL-8 treatment group compared to control group. We further found that IL-8 could promote Bax and caspase-3 expressions, but decrease the level of Bcl-2 in the aspect of m RNA and protein. However, pre-treatment with G31P partly attenuated these effects in RGC-5 cells（P〈0.05）.CONCLUSION： These results indicate that anti-proliferation effects of IL-8 through induction of cell apoptosis regulated by Bcl-2, Bax and caspase-3 expressions, can be ameliorated by G31P.

Effect of Yufeining (愈肺宁) on Induced Sputum Interleukin-8 in Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease at the Stable Phase

Objective： To evaluate the effect of Yufeining （愈肺宁）, a traditional Chinese medicine, on induced sputum interleukin-8 ilL-8） in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease （COPD） at the stable phase. Methods： Thirty-six patients with COPD were divided into trial group （18 cases） and control group （18 cases） randomly. The trial group was treated with Yufeining pills taken orally for half a year; the control group was not given any medicine. Routine lung function was recorded before and after treatment. Total cell count （TCC）, differential cell counts （DCCs） and IL-8 in induced sputum were determined at the baseline and 6 months later. Results： The indices of lung function improved significantly after 6 months＇ treatment in trial group （P〈0.05）; TCC and absolute neutrophil count decreased significantly compared with baseline in the trial group （P〈0.05） ; Sputum IL-8 concentration dropped significantly after 6 months＇ treatment, from a mean of 5. 216±2.914 μg/L to 4. 222±2. 140 μg/L （P〈0.05）. There were insignificant changes in the parameters in the control group between baseline and 6 months later. Conclusion： Yufeining could improve lung function, decrease sputum TCC, absolute neutrophil count and IL-8 concentration, and relieve airway inflammation in patients with COPD in the stable phase.

Blocking VEGF signaling augments interleukin-8 secretion via MEK/ERK/1/2 axis in human retinal pigment epithelial cells

AIM:To identify proangiogenic factors engaged in neovascular age-related macular degeneration(AMD)except vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)from human retinal pigment epithelial(h RPE)cells and investigate the underlying mechanisms.METHODS:VEGF receptor 2(VEGFR2)in ARPE-19 cells was depleted by si RNA transfection or overexpressed through adenovirus infection.The m RNA and the protein levels of interleukin-8(IL-8)in ARPE-19 cells were measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay respectively.The protein levels of AKT,p-AKT,MEK,p-MEK,ERK1/2,p-ERK1/2,JNK,p-JNK,p38 and p-p38 were detected by Western blotting.A selective chemical inhibitor,LY3214996,was employed to inhibit phosphorylation of ERK1/2.Cell viability was determined by MTT assay.RESULTS:Knockdown of VEGFR2 in ARPE-19 cells robustly augmented IL-8 production at both the m RNA and the protein levels.Silencing VEGFR2 substantially enhanced phosphorylation of MEK and ERK1/2 while exerted no effects on phosphorylation of AKT,JNK and p38.Inhibiting ERK1/2 phosphorylation by LY3214996 reversed changes in VEGFR2 knockdown-induced IL-8 upregulation at the m RNA and the protein levels with no effects on cell viability.VEGFR2 overexpression significantly reduced IL-8 generation at the m RNA and the protein levels.CONCLUSION:Blockade of VEGF signaling augments IL-8 secretion via MEK/ERK1/2 axis and overactivation of VEGF pathway decreases IL-8 production in h RPE cells.Upregulated IL-8 expression after VEGF signaling inhibition in h RPE cells may be responsible for being incompletely responsive to anti-VEGF remedy in neovascular AMD,and IL-8 may serve as an alternative therapeutic target for neovascular AMD.

Expression change of interleukin-8 gene in rabbit basilar artery after subarachnoid hemorrhage

Objective To study the expression change of interleukin-8 （IL-8） gene in the basilar artery of rabbit and the effect of IL-8 on the development of cerebral vasospasm induced by experimental subarachnoid hemorrhage （SAH）. Methods Thirty five healthy Japanese White Rabbits were randomly divided into saline-control group and experimental group. The experimental group was subdivided into four groups, representing day 1, 4, 7 and 14 after the first blood injection of SAH. The delayed cerebral vasospasm （DCVS） model was established by double injection of autologous blood into the cisterna magna. The expression change of cytokine IL-8 mRNA in the basilar artery was analyzed by RT- PCR. Results The expression of IL-8 gene increased on day 4-7 after the first blood injection of SAH compared with control （P 〈 0.001）, and decreased to normal on day 14. The expression of IL-8 gene in the SAH groups were positively correlated with the degree of basilar artery stenosis （r = 0.642, P 〈 0.01）. Conclusion The expression level of IL-8 gene in basilar arteries was intimately associated with the degree of cerebral vasospasm, suggesting that IL-8 may play an important role in the DCVS after SAH as an immunological inflammatory factor.

Anti-inflammatory activity of probiotic Bifidobacterium: Enhancement of IL-10 production in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from ulcerative colitis patients and inhibition of IL-8 secretion in HT-29 cells

AIM: To determine the anti-inflammatory activity of probiotic Bifidobacteria in Bifidobacteria-fermented milk (BFM) which is effective against active ulcerative colitis (UC) and exacerbations of UC, and to explore the immunoregulatory mechanisms. METHODS: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNC) from UC patients or HT-29 cells were co-cultured with heat-killed probiotic bacteria or culture supernatant of Bifidobacterium breve strain Yakult (BbrY) or Bifidobacterium bifidum strain Yakult (BbiY) to estimate the amount of IL-10 or IL-8 secreted. RESULTS: Both strains of probiotic Bifidobacteria contained in the BFM induced IL-10 production in PBMNC from UC patients, though BbrY was more effective than BbiY. Conditioned medium (CM) and DNA of both strains inhibited IL-8 secretion in HT-29 cells stimulated with TNF-α, whereas no such effect was observed with heat- killed bacteria. The inhibitory effect of CM derived from BbiY was greater than that of CM derived from BbrY. DNAs of the two strains had a comparable inhibitory activity against the secretion of IL-8. CM of BbiY induced a repression of IL-8 gene expression with a higher expression of IκB-ζ mRNA 4 h after culture of HT-29 cells compared to that in the absence of CM.CONCLUSION: Probiotic Bifidobacterium strains in BFM enhance IL-10 production in PBMNC and inhibit IL-8 secretion in intestinal epithelial cells, suggesting that BFM has anti-inflammatory effects against ulcerative colitis.

Plasma levels of tumor necrotic factor-alpha and interleukin-6, -8 during orthotopic liver transplantation and their relations to postoperative pulmonary complications

BACKGROUND: Pulmonary complications after orthoto- pic liver transplantation (OLT) include high morbidity and mortality. Experimental data have suggested hepatic ische- mia and reperfusion are induced by pro-inflammatory cyto- kines. The high level of inflammatory cytokines might ad- ditionally influence pulmonary cappillary fluid filtration. The objectives of this study were to measure the concentra- tions of tumor necrotic factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukin- 6 (IL-6) and interleukin-8 (IL-8) during OLT and to in- vestigate the relationship between these cytokines and post- operative pulmonary complications. METHODS: Twenty-two patients undergoing OLT were divided into two groups according to whether they had postoperative pulmonary complications: group A consis- ting of 8 patients with postoperative pulmonary complica- tions , and group B consisting of 14 patients without post- operative pulmonary complications. Enzyme-linked im- munoassay (ELISA) was used to determine serum TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-8. Blood samples were taken at the beginning of operation (T0 ), clamping and cross-clamping of the in- ferior cava and portal vein (T1, T2 ), 90 minutes and 3 hours after reperfusion (T3 , T4 ) and 24 hours after opera- tion (T5). RESULTS: The level of PaO2/FiO2 in group A was lower than that in group B ( P <0. 05 ). The concentrations of TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-8 in the two groups increased rapidly at T2 , peaked at T3 , decreased rapidly after T3 until 24 hours after operation. The concentrations of TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-8 in group A were higher than those in group B at T2, T3, and T4(P<0.05). CONCLUSION: After un-clamping of the inferior cava and portal vein, the serum concentrations of TNF-α, IL-6 and IL-8 increased may be related to pulmonary injury after he- patic ischemic reperfusion.

Interleukin-8 associates with adhesion,migration,invasion and chemosensitivity of human gastric cancer cells

AIM： To investigate the relationship between Interleu- kin-8 （IL-8） and proliferation, adhesion, migration, inva- sion and chemosensitivity of gastric cancer （GC） cells.

Helicobacter pylori and interleukin-8 in gastric cancer

Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori)is a major etiological factor in the development of gastric cancer.Large-scale epidemiological studies have confirmed the strong association between H.pylori infection and both cancer development and progression.Interleukin-8(IL-8)is overexpressed in gastric mucosa exposed to H.pylori.The expression of IL-8 directly correlates with a poor prognosis in gastric cancer.IL-8 is multifunctional.In addition to its potent chemotactic activity,it can induce proliferation and migration of cancer cells.In this review,we focus on recent insights into the mechanisms of IL-8 signaling associated with gastric cancer.The relationship between IL-8 and H.pylori is discussed.We also summarize the current therapeutics against IL-8 in gastric cancer.

Xiaotan Sanjie decoction inhibits interleukin-8-induced metastatic potency in gastric cancer

AIM:To investigate the interaction between Xiaotan Sanjie(XTSJ) decoction and interleukin-8(IL-8) and its effect on adhesion,migration and invasion of SGC-7901 gastric cancer cells.METHODS:SGC-7901 gastric cancer cells were exposed to serum containing XTSJ decoction and/orIL-8(1 ng/m L).SGC-7901 cell adhesion to fibronectin,an extracellular matrix component,was detected using the Cell Counting Kit-8.Migration and invasion abilities of SGC-7901 cells were detected by scratch wound and Transwell chamber assays.Then,protein(immunofluorescence and Western blot) and m RNA levels(quantitative polymerase chain reaction) of cluster of differentiation 44(CD44),a cell adhesion molecule,were measured in 72-h-cultured SGC-7901 cells.RESULTS:Cell adhesion was promoted by IL-8(P = 0.001),but was inhibited by XTSJ decoction(P = 0.0001).Similarly,IL-8 promoted SGC-7901 cell invasion(P = 0.003),and XTSJ decoction inhibited cell invasion(P = 0.001).IL-8 induced SGC-7901 cell migration,but this was inhibited by XTSJ decoction.IL-8 up-regulated CD44 protein(P = 0.028) and m RNA expression(P = 0.002),whereas XTSJ decoction inhibited CD44 protein expression(P = 0.0001),but not m RNA expression(P = 0.275).An interaction between XTSJ decoction and IL-8 was confirmed in the invasion(P = 0.001) and CD44 m RNA expression of SGC-7901 cells(P = 0.010),but not in cell adhesion(P = 0.051).CONCLUSION:XTSJ decoction may inhibit adhesion,migration and invasion of gastric cancer cells,which is partly associated with down-regulation of IL-8.

Interleukin-8, a promising predictor for prognosis of pancreatic cancer

AIM: To investigate the value of interleukin-8 (IL-8), a pro-inflammatory chemokine, in predicting the prognosis of pancreatic cancer. METHODS: Expression of IL-8 and its receptor CXCR1 was assessed by immunohistochemistry in pancreatic cancer and chronic pancreatitis samples. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the serum IL-8 levels in pancreatic cancer patients. Human pancreatic cancer tissues were heterotopically transplanted to the immune-deficiency mice to evaluate the effect of serum IL-8 on the tumorigenesis of the cancer samples.RESULTS: IL-8 and CXCR1 proteins were both overexpressed in pancreatic adenocarcinoma samples (55.6% and 65.4%, respectively) compared with the matched para-cancer tissues (25.9% and 12.3%, P < 0.01), or chronic pancreatitis (0% and 25%, P < 0.05). Serum IL-8 levels in pancreatic cancer patients (271.1 ± 187.7 ng/mL) were higher than in other digestive system tumors, such as gastric cancer (41.77 ± 9.11 ng/mL, P = 0.025), colorectal carcinoma (78.72 ± 80.60 ng/mL, P = 0.032) and hepatocellular carcinoma (59.60 ± 19.80 ng/mL, P = 0.016). In vivo tumorigenesis analysis further proved that tumor tissues from patients with higher serum IL-8 levels grew faster than those with lower IL-8 levels. CONCLUSION: IL-8 can be a fine serum marker for predicting the prognosis pancreatic cancer.

Lactobacillus plantarum inhibits epithelial barrier dysfunction and interleukin-8 secretion induced by tumor necrosis factor-a

AIM： To determine whether Lactobacillus plantarum can modify the deleterious effects of tumor necrosis factor-α （TNF-α） on intestinal epithelial cells. METHODS： Caco-2 cells were incubated with TNF-α alone or in the presence of L. plantarum. Transepithelial electrical resistance was used to measure epithelial barrier function. Interleukin 8 （IL-8） secretion by intestinal epithelial cells was measured using an ELISA. Cellular lysate proteins were immunoblotted using the anti-extracellular regulated kinase （ERK）, anti-phospho- ERK and anti-IκB-α. RESULTS： A TNF-α-induced decrease in transepithelial electrical resistance was inhibited by L. plantarum. TNF- α-induced IL-8 secretion was reduced by L. plantarum. L. plantarum inhibited the activation of ERK and the degradation of IκB-α in TNF-a-treated Caco-2 cells. CONCLUSION： Induction of epithelial barrier dysfunction and IL-8 secretion by TNF-α is inhibited byL. plantarum. Probiotics may preserve epithelial barrier function and inhibit the inflammatory response by altering the signal transduction pathway.

Lactobacilli inhibit interleukin-8 production induced by Helicobacter pylori lipopolysaccharide-activated Toll-like receptor 4

AIM： To investigate the effect of Lactobacillus bulgaricus （LBG） on the Toll-like receptor 4 （TLR4） pathway and interleukin-8 （IL-8） production in SGC-7901 cells treated with Helicobacter pyloriSydney strain 1 lipopolysaccharide （HpyloriSS1-LPS）. METHODS： SGC-7901 cells were treated with HpyloriSS1-LPS in the presence or absence of pretreatment for 1 h with viable LBG or supernatant recovered from LBG culture MRS broth （LBG-s）. Cellular lysates were prepared for Western blot with anti-TLR4, anti-transforming growth factor β-activated kinase 1 （TAK1）, anti-phospho-TAK1, anti-nuclear factor κB （NF-κB）, anti-p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase （p38MAPK）, and anti-phospho-p38MAPK antibodies. The amount of IL-8 in cell culture medium was measured by ELISA. RESULTS： H pyloriSS1-LPS up-regulated the expression of TLR4, stimulated the phosphorylation of TAKI, subsequently enhanced the activation of NF- κB and the phosphorylation of p38MAPK in a time- dependent manner, leading to augmentation of IL-8 production in SGC-7901 cells. Viable LBG or LBG-s pretreatment attenuated the expression of TLR4, inhibited the phosphorylation of TAK1 and p38MAPK, prevented the activation of NF-κB, and consequently blocked IL-8 production.CONCLUSION： H py/oriSS1-LPS induces IL-8 production through activating TLR4 signaling in SGC-7901 cells and viable LBG or LBG-s prevents H pyloriSS1-LPS-mediated IL-8 production via inhibition of the TLR4 pathway.

Astragalus mongholicus polysaccharide inhibits lipopolysaccharide-induced production of TNF-α and interleukin-8

AIM： To explore the effect of Astraga/us mongholicus polysaccharide （APS） on gene expression and mitogenactivated protein kinase （MAPK） transcriptional activity in intestinal epithelial cells （IEC）. METHODS： IEC were divided into control group, lipopolysaccharide （LPS） group, LPS＋ 50 μg/mL APS group, LPS＋ 100 μg/mL APS group, LPS＋ 200 μg/mL APS group, and LPS＋ 500 μg/mL APS group. Levels of mRNAs in LPS-induced inflammatory factors, tumor necrosis factor （TNF）-α and interleukin （IL）-8, were measured by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. MAPK protein level was measured by Western blotting. RESULTS： The levels of TNF-α and IL-8 mRNAs were significantly higher in IEC with LPS-induced damage than in control cells. APS significantly abrogated the LPS-induced expression of the TNF-α and IL-8 genes. APS did not block the activation of extracellular signal- regulated kinase or c Jun amino-terminal kinase, but inhibited the activation of p38, suggesting that APS inhibits LPS-induced production of TNF-α and IL-8 mRNAs, possibly by suppressing the p38 signaling pathway.CONCLUSION： APS-modulated bacterial productmediated p38 signaling represents an attractive strategy for prevention and treatment of intestinal inflammation.

Diagnostic value of interleukin-8 in colorectal cancer:A case-control study and meta-analysis

AIM: To assess the diagnostic value of serum interleukin-8 (IL-8) in the detection of colorectal cancer (CRC).

Correlation of Helicobacter pylori and interleukin-8 mRNA expression in high risk gastric cancer population prediction

AIM:To evaluate(1) the association of the Helicobacter pylori(H.pylori) test and interleukin-8(IL-8) m RNA expression alone and the severity of gastric cancer(GC);(2) the association of both tests were added to patients' characteristics to identifli Thai suspected patients of gastric cancer who would receive the most benefit; and(3) diagnostic value of levels of IL-8 m RNA expression for gastric cancer.METHODS: A cross-sectional analytical study was completed with 220 patients with 86 GC patients who underwent endoscopy with gastric surgery divided into non-metastasis and metastasis groups,and 134 patients with benign lesions who underwent endoscopic examination,at the Gastrointestinal Surgery and Endoscopy Unit,Chiang Mai University Hospital between 2006 and 2010. Of 220 patients,86 cases of diagnosed gastric adenocarcinoma were in an advanced stage and 134 cases were non-cancer patients. RESULTS: The IL-8 m RNA expression showed predominant association with advanced GC when compared to H. pylori infection alone [OR(95%CI); 0.86(0.49-1.53) vs 5.44(3.08-9.62)] when including the patients' characteristics the highest of the area under the receiver operating characteristic curves(Au ROC) of the model were males older than 40 years of age [AuROC(95%CI); 0.81(0.75-0.86)]. However,preliminary testing for diagnostic indices of four cut-off points of IL-8 m RNA expression to predict the severity of GC cases found an increasing suboptimal trend from the likelihood ratio of positive to differentiate the severity in the GC group. The IL-8 mRNA expression showed a predominant association with GC when compared to H. pylori infection,especially in males older than 40 years of age who may benefit most from this test. CONCLUSION:The future research of IL-8 mRNA expression to predict severity in the gastric cancer group should be warranted.

Expression patterns of plasma von Willebrand factor and serum interleukin-8 in patients with early-stage severe pulmonary contusion

BACKGROUND： von Willebrand factor （vWF） is only released from endothelial cells and platelets and is an in vivo and in vitro marker of endothelial injury in septic patients with acute lung injury （ALI）. Interleukin-8 （IL-8）, as a proinflammatory mediator causing recruitment of inflammatory cells, induces an increase in oxidant stress mediators and makes it as a key parameter for localized inflammation. However, it has not been well established whether the level of serum IL-8 is associated with the severity of lung injury and whether it is a prognosis marker for severe lung contusion. This study was to investigate the expression of plasma vWF and IL-8 and their association with the severity and outcomes of severe pulmonary contusion.METHODS： A total of 63 patients were divided into a severe pulmonary contusion with acute respiratory distress syndrome （ARDS） group and a non-ARDS group, or a survivor group and a non- survivor group, or an injury severity score （ISS） 〈20 group and an ISS 〉20 group. Another 20 healthy volunteers served as controls. The levels of plasma vWF and serum IL-8 were measured by enzyme- linked immunosorbent assay （ELISA） at 1,3, 5 and 7 days after injury. The expression patterns of the plasma vWF and serum IL-8 were compared between different groups. RESULTS： The concentrations of plasma vWF and serum IL-8 were significantly increased in all severe pulmonary contusion patients at all time points in comparison with the control group. The concentrations of plasma vWF in patients with ARDS increased during the whole study period, but vWF in patients with non-ARDS increased gradually until day 5 and then decreased at day 7. The concentration of serum IL-8 showed a similar expression pattern in both groups, but the expression increased more significantly in the ARDS group than in the non-ARDS group. Interestingly, both plasma vWF and serum IL-8 levels steadily increased in the non-survivor group. Furthermore, the level of plasma vWF was higher in the ISS〉20 group than in the ISS〈20 group. The level of serum IL-8 in the ISS〉20 group was consistently high, while that in the ISS〈20 group peaked at day 3 and decreased at day 5. In addition, the level of plasma vWF was positively correlated with platelet count, but negatively correlated with oxygen index. The level of serum IL-8 was positively correlated with white blood cell count and ISS score, and inversely correlated with oxygen index. CONCLUDION： The elevated levels of plasma vWF and serum IL-8 in severe pulmonary contusion patients reflect the severity of pulmonary injury and patients outcomes, suggesting that the plasma vWF and serum IL-8 are sensitive markers for clinical evaluation of the severity of pulmonary injury and predication of patient prognosis.

Effects of IL-17 on Expression of GRO-α and IL-8 in Fibroblasts from Nasal Polyps

Recent studies indicated that interleukin（IL）-17, growth-related oncogene（GRO）-α and IL-8 play an important role in the pathogenesis of nasal polyps. However, the effects of the increased amount of IL-17 and the production of GRO-α and IL-8 in human nasal polyp fibroblasts are not completely understood. This study aimed to determine the effects of the increased IL-17 on the changes of GRO-α and IL-8 expression in human nasal polyp fibroblasts and further investigate the mechanism of neutrophil infiltration in nasal polyps. Nasal polyp fibroblasts were isolated from six cases of human nasal polyps, and the cells were stimulated with five different concentrations of IL-17. Real-time fluorescence quantitative polymerase chain reaction（RT-PCR） was used to detect the mRNA expression of GRO-α and IL-8. The mRNA of GRO-α and IL-8 was expressed in unstimulated controls and remarkably increased by stimulation with IL-17. Moreover, the levels of GRO-α and IL-8 produced by fibroblasts were increased gradually with the increases in IL-17 concentrations. The present study showed that nasal fibroblasts can produce GRO-α and IL-8, and their production is remarkably enhanced by IL-17 stimulation, thereby clarifying the mechanism of the IL-17 mediated neutrophil infiltration in nasal polyps. These findings might provide a rationale for using IL-17 inhibitors as a treatment for nasal inflammatory diseases such as nasal polyps.

Effect of Helicobacter pylori cdrA on interleukin-8 secretions and nuclear factor kappa B activation

AIM： To investigate genetic diversity of Helicobacter pylori （H. pylorl） cell division-related gene A （cdrA） and its effect on the host response.METHODS： Inactivation of H. py/ori cdrA, which is involved in ceil division and morphological elonga- tion, has a role in chronic persistent infections. Ge- netic property of H. pylori cdrA was evaluated using polymerase chain reaction and sequencing in 128 （77 American and 51 Japanese） clinical isolates obtained from 48 and 51 patients, respectively. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was performed to measure in- terleukin-8 （IL-8） secretion with gastric biopsy speci- mens obtained from American patients colonized with cdrA-positive or -negative strains and AGS cells co- cultured with wild-type HPK5 （cdrA-positive） or its de- rivative HPKT510 （cdrA-disruptant）. Furthermore, the cytotoxin-associated gene A （cagA） status （transloca- tion and phosphorylation） and kinetics of transcription factors [nuclear factor-kappa B （NF-~：B） and inhibition kappa B] were investigated in AGS cells co-cultured with HPK5, HPKT510 and its derivative HPKSCA （cagA- disruptant） by western blotting analysis with immuno- precipitation. RESULTS： Genetic diversity of the H. pylori cdrA gene demonstrated that the cdrA status segregated into two categories including four allele types, cdrA-positive （al- lele types, I and 11 ） and cdrA-negative （allele types; 111 and IV） categories, respectively. Almost all Japanese isolates were cdrA-positive （ 1 ： 7.8% and 11 ： 90.2%）, whereas 16.9% of American isolates were cdrA-positive （11） and 83.1% were cdrA-negative （nl： 37.7% and IV： 45.5%）, indicating extended diversity of cdrA in individual American isolates. Comparison of each isolate from different regions （antrum and corpus） in the stomach of 29 Americans revealed that cdrA status was identical in both isolates from different regions in 17 cases. However, 12 cases had a different cdrA al- lele and 6 of them exhibited a different cdrA category between two regions in the stomach. Furthermore, in 5 of the 6 cases possessing a different cdrA category, cdrA-negative isolate existed in the corpus, suggesting that cdrA-negative strain is more adaptable to coloni- zation in the corpus. IL-8 secretions from AGS revealed that IL-8 levels induced by a cdrA-disrupted HPKT510 was significantly lower （P 〈 0.01） compared to wild- type HPK5： corresponding to 50%-60% of those of wild-type HPK5. These data coincided with in vivo data that an average value of IL-8 in biopsy specimens from cdrA-positive and cdrA-negative groups was 215.6 and 135.9 pg/mL, respectively. Western blotting analysis documented that HPKT510 had no effect on CagA translocation and phosphorylation, however, nuclear accumulation of NF-κB was lower by HPKT510 com- pared to HPK5. CONCLUSION： Colonization by a cdrA-negative or cdrA-dysfunctional strain resulted in decreased IL-8 production and repression of NF-κB, and hence, atten- uate the host immunity leading to persistent infection.

Up-regulation interleukin-6 and interleukin-8 by activated protein C in lipopolysaccharide-treated human umbilical vein endothelial cells

Objective: To investigate the effect of activated protein C (APC) on inflammatory responses in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Methods: The second passage of collagenase digested HUVEC was divided into the following groups: serum free medium control group (SFM control), phosphate buffer solution control group (PBS control), LPS group with final concentration of 1 μg/ml (LPS group), APC group with final concentration of 7 μg/ml, Pre-APC group (APC pretreatment for 30 min prior to LPS challenge), and Post-APC group (APC administration 30 min after LPS challenge). Supernatant was harvested at 0, 4, 8, 12 and 24 h after LPS challenge. Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and Interleukin-8 (IL-8) levels were analyzed with ELISA. Cells were harvested at 24 h after LPS challenge, and total RNA was extracted. Mes-senger RNA levels for IL-6 and IL-8 were semi-quantitatively determined by RT-PCR. Results: Compared with control group, IL-6 and IL-8 levels steadily increased 4 to 24 h after LPS stimulation. APC treatment could increase LPS-induced IL-6 and IL-8 production. The mRNA levels of IL-6 and IL-8 exhibited a similar change. Conclusion: APC can further increase the level of IL-6 and IL-8 induced by LPS. The effect of these elevated cytokines is still under investigation.