title: Synergistic effect of TNF-alpha and IL-4 on the expression of thymus- and activation-regulated chemokine in human corneal fibroblasts.
abstract: Chemokine production by resident fibroblasts contributes to the recruitment of migratory leukocytes to sites of tissue injury. The effects of cytokines on the expression of thymus- and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC), a potent chemoattractant for Th2 cells, were examined in cultured human corneal fibroblasts. The culture supernatants of cells incubated for 24 h in the absence or presence of either TNF-alpha (10 ng/ml) or IL-4 (10 ng/ml) alone did not contain TARC detectable by ELISA. However, exposure of cells to both cytokines resulted in marked release of TARC into the culture medium in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Similarly, quantitative RT-PCR analysis revealed that the two cytokines induced a synergistic increase in the amount of TARC mRNA in the cultured fibroblasts. This synergistic effect of TNF-alpha and IL-4 on TARC production by fibroblasts may contribute to the Th2 cell infiltration and consequent tissue damage associated with allergic inflammation.
authors: Department of Ophthalmology, Yamaguchi University School of Medicine, 1-1-1 Minami-Kogushi, Ube City, 755-8505, Japan.
authors: N
authors: N
authors: Kumagai
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Fukuda
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Nishida
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D054414:Chemokine CCL17; D019742:Chemokines, CC / Q000235:genetics*; D003315:Cornea / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D017931:DNA Primers; D004357:Drug Synergism; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: C106230:CCL17 protein, human; D054414:Chemokine CCL17; D019742:Chemokines, CC; D017931:DNA Primers; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D015847:Interleukin-4