title: Modulation of inflammation by extracellular nucleotides.
abstract: In this issue, Seiffert et al. show that adenosine triphosphate enhances the production of inflammatory mediators by human dermal endothelial cells. However, a growing literature shows that adenosine triphosphate exerts anti-inflammatory effects, partly by inducing a semi-maturation of dendritic cells associated with immune tolerance. These discrepancies can be reconciled knowing that extracellular nucleotides constitute danger signals that are released in response to both external aggression (chemical, microbial) and excess inflammation.
authors.affiliation: Université Libre de Bruxelles, Institut de Recherche Interdisciplinaire en Biologie Humaine et Moléculaire, and Laboratory of Medical Chemistry, Erasme Hospital, 808 Route de Lennik, 1070 Brussels, Belgium. jmboeyna@ulb.ac.be
authors.forename: Jean-Marie
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Boeynaems
authors.forename: Didier
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Communi
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000502:physiology*; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000502:physiology; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000378:metabolism*; D011983:Receptors, Purinergic / Q000502:physiology*; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D011983:Receptors, Purinergic; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate