title: Production of interleukin-10 and transforming growth factor beta by peripheral blood mononuclear cells in Q fever endocarditis.
abstract: The pathophysiology of Q fever endocarditis is characterized by the suppression of antigen-specific cell-mediated immune responses. We investigated the production of interleukin-10 (IL-10) and transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta), known to interfere with the development of protective cell immunity. IL-10 was markedly released by unstimulated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from patients with Q fever endocarditis. This release resulted from the upregulation of IL-10 gene transcription. Similarly, the release of TGF-beta1 and TGF-beta2 was significantly higher in patient PBMC than in control cells, but the expression of their respective mRNA was not enhanced in patient cells. In contrast, lipopolysaccharide-stimulated transcription and release of IL-10 and TGF-beta were similar in patients and controls. The release of IL-10 by PBMC but not that of TGF-beta was correlated with the clinical status of the patients. First, IL-10 production was correlated with specific antibody levels. Second, IL-10 release remained elevated in patients prone to relapse. Taken together, our results suggest that the release of IL-10 and TGF-beta is upregulated in Q fever endocarditis. IL-10 might be considered as a marker of disease relapses and might be instrumental in monitoring the efficiency of the treatment.
authors.affiliation: Unité des Rickettsies, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique UPRES A, Faculté de Médecine, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Capo
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zaffran
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zugun
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Houpikian
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Raoult
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Mege
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011778:Q Fever / Q000276:immunology*; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D016753:Interleukin-10