title: Skewed production of IL-6 and TGFβ by cultured salivary gland epithelial cells from patients with Sjögren's syndrome.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the cytokine production profile of cultured salivary gland epithelial (SGE) cells obtained from patients with Sjögren's syndrome (SS).
  
  
  METHODS
  SGE cells obtained from 9 SS patients and 6 normal controls were cultured in the presence of exogenous IFNγ. Cell proliferation and apoptosis in response to IFNγ were determined by WST1 assay and by FACS analysis. The concentrations of IL-6 and TGFβ secreted into culture supernatants were analyzed by ELISA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  IFNγ did not significantly affect the proliferation or apoptosis of SGE cells. However, IL-6 concentrations were higher, and TGFβ concentrations were lower, in culture supernatants of SGE cells from SS patients than from normal controls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cytokine production by SGE cells from SS patients showed a skewed balance compared with normal controls, with increased IL-6 and decreased TGFβ secretion. This imbalance may be critical in the regulation of Treg/Th17 cells and may foster a pathogenic milieu that may be causative and predictive in SS.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology and Immunology, Kanazawa Medical University, Uchinada-machi, Kahoku-gun, Ishikawa, Japan.
authors.forename: Takafumi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kawanami
authors.forename: Toshioki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sawaki
authors.forename: Tomoyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sakai
authors.forename: Miyuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Miki
authors.forename: Haruka
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Iwao
authors.forename: Akio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nakajima
authors.forename: Takuji
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Tomomi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: Yoshimasa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fujita
authors.forename: Masao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Yasufumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Masaki
authors.forename: Toshihiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fukushima
authors.forename: Yuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hirose
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Taniguchi
authors.forename: Naotoshi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sugimoto
authors.forename: Toshiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Okazaki
authors.forename: Hisanori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Umehara
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000494:pharmacology; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012469:Salivary Glands / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D012859:Sjogren's Syndrome / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015850:Interleukin-6; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D007371:Interferon-gamma