HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS REGISTER		Author Keyword(s) Vol Page [Advanced]

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this link to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Add article to my folders Download to citation manager Request Permissions Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Hauber, H-P Articles by Pforte, A Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Hauber, H-P Articles by Pforte, A Topic Collections Related Article

Increased interleukin-13 expression in patients with sarcoidosis

Department of Internal Medicine, University Hospital Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Dr H-P Hauber, Meakins-Christie Laboratories, 3626 St-Urbain Street, Montreal, Quebec H2X 2P2, Canada;
hans-peter.hauber{at}mcgill.ca

Background: Sarcoidosis is a systemic granulomatous disorder of unknown origin. Lymphocytic inflammation is dominated by expression of Th1 type cytokines such as tumour necrosis factor (TNF). Interleukin 13 (IL-13) is a Th2 cytokine which is expressed by CD4+ T cells and has been shown to suppress TNF in human blood monocytes. The role of IL-13 as a possible anti-inflammatory cytokine in sarcoidosis was investigated.

Methods: mRNA expression of IL-13, IL-4, IL-10, and TNF in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid cells and peripheral mononuclear blood cells (PBM) of 18 patients with sarcoidosis and nine healthy controls was assessed using RT-PCR. In addition, IL-13 protein levels in BAL cell culture supernatants from 12 patients and all controls were measured and immunocytochemistry of IL-13 protein was performed in BAL fluid cells of eight patients. TNF concentrations were measured with and without stimulation with recombinant human (rh) IL-13, rhIL-10, and lipopolysaccharide (LPS).

Results: IL-13 mRNA expression was significantly increased in BAL cells and PBM of patients compared with controls (p<0.05). No significant difference was found in IL-4 mRNA or IL-10 mRNA expression in BAL fluid cells or PBM between the two groups. TNF mRNA expression was significantly higher in BAL fluid cells of patients than controls (p<0.05). IL-13 protein levels in BAL cell culture supernatants were slightly raised in half the patients investigated but in only two controls. Immunocytochemistry detected IL-13 protein in alveolar macrophages of patients. IL-13 led to decreased TNF concentrations (p<0.05).

Conclusions: IL-13 expression is increased in BAL cells and PBM in sarcoidosis and IL-13 is secreted from BAL cells. Alveolar macrophages may be the cellular source. These data suggest that IL-13 might have an anti-inflammatory effect by acting on TNF.

Keywords: interleukin-13; sarcoidosis; tumour necrosis factor

Related Article

Airwaves

Wisia Wedzicha
Thorax 2003 58: 463. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]

This article has been cited by other articles:

				S. Wenzel and S. T. Holgate The Mouse Trap: It Still Yields Few Answers in Asthma Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med., December 1, 2006; 174(11): 1173 - 1176. [Full Text] [PDF]

				F. Idali, M. Wiken, J. Wahlstrom, H. Mellstedt, A. Eklund, H. Rabbani, and J. Grunewald Reduced Th1 response in the lungs of HLA-DRB1*0301 patients with pulmonary sarcoidosis. Eur. Respir. J., March 1, 2006; 27(3): 451 - 459. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]