title: Increased interleukin-6, interferon-gamma and tumour necrosis factor-alpha production by tonsillar mononuclear cells stimulated with alpha-streptococci in patients with pustulosis palmaris et plantaris.
abstract: In vitro cytokine production by tonsillar mononuclear cells under culture conditions with or without lyophilized streptococcal antigens was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Under culture conditions without any stimulus, a certain amount of interferon (IFN)-gamma, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, and interleukin (IL)-6, was detected in the supernatant culture fluids from all 29 donors tested and just detectable levels of IL-1alpha and IL-2 were identified in 5 of 12 donors tested; but IL-4 and IL-5 were not detected in any supernatants from 21 donors tested. In 16 patients with pustulosis palmaris et plantaris (PPP), all three alpha-streptococcal antigens from Streptococcus, (S.) sanguis, S. salivarius and S. mitis induced production of IL-6. IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha by tonsillar mononuclear cells at a significant level. However, no significant induction of such cytokines by alpha-streptococcal stimulus was seen in 13 donors without PPP. No significant difference in cytokine production by tonsillar mononuclear cells was seen between the PPP and non-PPP subjects, when stimulated with S. pyogenes, Staphylococcus aureus Cowan I and pokeweed mitogen. In the experiments using tonsillar cell subsets, the cytokine inductions by alpha-streptococcal stimulus were found in monocyte-depleted cells as well as in purified T-cells. but not in B-cells. These data suggest that IL-6, IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha may play an important role in immunological reactions in the tonsils and that a hyper-immune response to some of alpha-streptococcal antigens through increased production of such cytokines by tonsillar mononuclear cells, to which T-cells mainly contribute, may play a key role in the pathogenesis of PPP.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Murakata
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Harabuchi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kataura
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009000:Monocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D014066:Palatine Tonsil / Q000276:immunology*; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology*; D013290:Streptococcal Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D007371:Interferon-gamma