Production of tumor necrosis factor and interleukin-1 by macrophages from human atheromatous plaques.
The production of cytokines by atheromatous plaque macrophages from human endarterectomy tissue was assessed in vitro by short-term cell culture and in situ by immunohistology. Macrophages were isolated from plaques of 14 patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy and 7 patients undergoing reconstructive procedures on atheromatous distal aortic and femoral arteries. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) and interleukin 1 (IL-1) production by plaque macrophages and blood monocytes isolated concurrently from these patients was assessed. TNF release by macrophages from carotid plaques (0.39 +/- 0.12 ng/10(6) cells/24 hours) was significantly augmented compared to the release by corresponding blood monocytes (0.014 +/- 0.011 ng/10(6) cells/24 hours, P = 0.03), and by macrophages from noncarotid lesions (0.038 +/- 0.036 ng/10(6) cells/24 hours, P < 0.04). Cellular TNF expression by macrophages within carotid plaques was also more prominent than in noncarotid lesions. By contrast, IL-1 production by plaque macrophages from both carotid and noncarotid plaques was not augmented compared to blood monocytes, and only infrequent and low-intensity labeling for IL-1 was present on macrophages within plaques from either group. These results provide functional and immunohistological evidence for increased production of TNF but not IL-1 by activated macrophages, indicating local and selective augmentation of cytokine production within carotid plaques. This suggests that macrophages play an active role in the inflammatory response within atheromatous carotid plaques.
Department of Medicine, Monash Medical Centre, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.
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Tipping
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Hancock
D000368:Aged; D001011:Aorta / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009000:Monocytes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism*
D007375:Interleukin-1; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha