title: Elevated local production of neopterin from alveolar macrophages in patients with internal lung diseases.
abstract: 1. We measured the neopterin level in the supernatant of cultured alveolar macrophages from patients with interstitial lung diseases (ILD patients) as a marker for the activation of alveolar macrophage. 2. In ILD patients, the supernatant neopterin level (40.1 +/- 7.8 pmol/ml) was significantly higher (P < 0.01) than that in control subjects (10.0 +/- 1.6 pmol/ml). 3. We also found that macrophage-colony stimulating factor (M-CSF) and interleukin-2 (IL-2) augmented neopterin production from alveolar macrophage in both ILD patients (51.6 +/- 10.4 and 60.1 +/- 10.8 pmol/ml, respectively, P < 0.01) and control subjects (28.1 +/- 6.0 and 25.7 +/- 4.9 pmol/ml, respectively). 4. These findings suggest that alveolar macrophages produce neopterin by M-CSF or IL-2.
authors.affiliation: Fourth Department of Internal Medicine, Kinki University School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chihara
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mouri
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kurachi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakajima
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001708:Biopterins / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000096:biosynthesis; D001992:Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000494:pharmacology; D017563:Lung Diseases, Interstitial / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008262:Macrophage Activation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D016173:Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000494:pharmacology; D016676:Macrophages, Alveolar / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D019798:Neopterin; D011009:Pneumoconiosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D011658:Pulmonary Fibrosis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D007376:Interleukin-2; D001708:Biopterins; D019798:Neopterin; D016173:Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor