Coagulation of whole blood stimulates interleukin-1 beta gene expression.
To study interleukin (IL)-1 beta gene expression, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction was used on 25-microL whole blood samples from 11 healthy subjects. Coagulated and unclotted whole blood was compared. There was no evidence of IL-1 beta gene expression in any time zero samples (i.e., whole blood from which mRNA was immediately extracted) from 11 subjects, whereas a 388-bp band representing IL-1 beta mRNA was detected in all coagulated samples. No mRNA for IL-1 beta was detected in EDTA-anticoagulated whole blood, although in these samples the addition of lipopolysaccharide as a positive control induced the expression of IL-1 beta. In time course studies on samples allowed to clot, mRNA for IL-1 beta was detectable after 30 min. These findings demonstrate that IL-1 beta gene expression is not present in circulating cells of healthy subjects and that coagulation is a stimulus for IL-1 beta gene expression. This may be a mechanism by which thrombosis produces inflammation and fever.
Mileno
M D
MD
Department of Medicine, New England Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts, USA.
Margolis
N H
NH
Clark
B D
BD
Dinarello
C A
CA
Burke
J F
JF
Gelfand
J A
JA
D000328:Adult; D001483:Base Sequence; D001777:Blood Coagulation / Q000502:physiology*; D017931:DNA Primers; D004492:Edetic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis
D017931:DNA Primers; D007375:Interleukin-1; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D004492:Edetic Acid