title: Anatomic site and immune function correlate with relative cytokine mRNA expression levels in lymphoid tissues of normal rhesus macaques.
abstract: Reverse transcriptase real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to determine pro-inflammatory, anti-viral and immunoregulatory cytokine mRNA expression levels in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of healthy juvenile, adolescent and adult rhesus macaques. Few age-related changes in cytokine mRNA expression levels were observed. Expression of interleukin 2 and Mx, a type I interferon-inducible gene, decreased with age, whereas interleukin 4 and macrophage inflammatory protein 1 (MIP-1) alpha and beta mRNA levels increased in older monkeys. Independent of age, the pro-inflammatory cytokines [tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and chemokines] were expressed at higher mRNA levels in PBMC than the immunoregulatory cytokines (interleukins 2, 4, 12). Pro-inflammatory cytokine mRNA expression levels were highest in lymphoid tissues draining mucosal surfaces. Thus, a correlation exists between cytokine mRNA levels in lymphoid tissues and the anatomical site.
authors.affiliation: Center for Comparative Medicine, University of California Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA. kabel@ucdavis.edu
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Abel
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Alegria-Hartman
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zanotto
authors.forename: M B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: McChesney
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Marthas
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Miller
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D016207:Cytokines / Q000235:genetics*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006304:Health Status; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D008221:Lymphoid Tissue / Q000276:immunology; D008253:Macaca mulatta; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D012333:RNA, Messenger