title: Interleukin-4 stimulates human monocytes to produce tissue-type plasminogen activator.
abstract: Tissue-type plasminogen activator (t-PA) is involved in the lysis of blood clots (fibrinolysis) and is used clinically for this purpose. Endothelial cells are one source of the t-PA present in blood. We report here that interleukin-4 (IL-4) (0.1 to 0.25 U/mL; 1 to 3 x 10(-11) mol/L), but not interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), elevates t-PA messenger (m)RNA expression and secretion of t-PA activity by human monocytes, with the maximum response at 2.5 U/mL. Supernatant t-PA activity was detected within three hours of exposure to IL-4 and maximum activity within six hours. Thus, IL-4 may control fibrin deposition at sites of inflammation during cell-mediated immune responses, as well as having a therapeutic role in thrombolysis.
authors.affiliation: University of Melbourne, Department of Medicine, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: P H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Hart
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Burgess
authors.forename: G F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Vitti
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Hamilton
mesh_terms: D002474:Cell-Free System; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006801:Humans; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007378:Interleukins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009000:Monocytes / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000302:isolation & purification
chemical_list: D007378:Interleukins; D015847:Interleukin-4; D010959:Tissue Plasminogen Activator