title: Interleukin-18 enhances lipopolysaccharide-induced interferon-gamma production in human whole blood cultures.
abstract: Interleukin-18 (IL-18) is a newly described cytokine, formerly called interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma)-inducing factor. In a simple 24-h human whole blood culture, IFN-gamma was produced by the combination of lipopolysaccharide (LPS) plus IL-18. To liberate cytokines in the leukocyte and red cell compartments, the detergent Triton X-100 was added to the entire blood culture. The combination of low concentrations of LPS plus IL-18 induced a 3- to 5-fold greater production of IFN-gamma than did either stimulant alone. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), IL-6, and IL-8 were also produced. The presence of IL-10 completely suppressed the production of IFN-gamma and reduced that of TNF-alpha, IL-6, and IL-8. Thus, IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha, IL-8, and IL-6 are produced in a single whole blood culture, making correlations in the synthesis of a T helper type 1 cytokine and proinflammatory cytokines with disease activity possible in a single culture.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, Colorado, USA.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Puren
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Razeghi
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fantuzzi
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Dinarello
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001773:Blood Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004357:Drug Synergism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology; D020382:Interleukin-18 / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000502:physiology; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood; D007700:Kinetics; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D020382:Interleukin-18; D015850:Interleukin-6; D016209:Interleukin-8; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016753:Interleukin-10; D007371:Interferon-gamma