Association of interleukin 6 release from endothelial cells and pulmonary hypertension in SLE.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate how sera from 37 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) stimulate interleukin (IL) 6 release from IL-1beta pretreated endothelial cells and compare these effects to those of sera from 16 normal controls.


METHODS
Endothelial cells pretreated 18 h with IL-1beta (5 U/ml) were incubated 2 h with sera diluted 10-fold with phosphate buffered saline (PBS). IL-6 concentrations in endothelial culture supernatants collected after incubation were measured by ELISA.


RESULTS
Compared with PBS, sera from controls and 24 patients with SLE suppressed IL-6 release from IL-1beta pretreated cells. However, sera from 13 patients with SLE augmented IL-6 release. Of note, sera from 5 patients with pulmonary hypertension induced the highest level of IL-6 release. IgG from control sera suppressed IL-6 release, whereas F(ab')2 did not. Both IgG and F(ab')2 from the sera of patients with SLE with pulmonary hypertension augmented IL-6 release from IL-1beta pretreated cells.


CONCLUSIONS
IgG antiendothelial cell antibodies from patients with SLE may be associated with the pathogenesis of SLE and pulmonary hypertension.
Yoshio
T
T
Department of Medicine, Jichi Medical School, Tochigi-ken, Japan.
Masuyama
J I
JI
Kohda
N
N
Hirata
D
D
Sato
H
H
Iwamoto
M
M
Mimori
A
A
Takeda
A
A
Minota
S
S
Kano
S
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000906:Antibodies / Q000097:blood; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006976:Hypertension, Pulmonary / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*; D007140:Immunoglobulin Fab Fragments / Q000378:metabolism; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000494:pharmacology; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism*; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000097:blood* / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014471:Umbilical Veins
D000906:Antibodies; D007140:Immunoglobulin Fab Fragments; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D007375:Interleukin-1; D015850:Interleukin-6