title: Increased production of interleukin-10 in children with Down syndrome upon ex vivo stimulation with Streptococcus pneumoniae.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Children with Down syndrome (DS) have an increased susceptibility to infections, due to altered humoral and/or cellular immunity. The aim of the study was to determine the cytokine production in whole blood of children with DS upon stimulation with heat-killed Streptococcus pneumoniae and lipopolysaccharide (LPS), in comparison with their healthy siblings.
  
  
  METHODS
  Whole blood of 61 children with DS and 57 of their healthy siblings was stimulated with 200 ng/ml LPS and 4 × 10(7) colony-forming units/ml S. pneumoniae during 6, 24, and 48 h. Concentrations of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, IL-8, IL-12p70, and IL-10 were determined at all time points.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Children with DS show an increased IL-10 production upon stimulation with S. pneumoniae compared to their healthy siblings. At most time points, no significant differences were seen in cytokine production upon stimulation with LPS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Children with DS may be prone to a severe course of pneumococcal pneumonia, because of an increased anti-inflammatory response.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Vrije Universiteit Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Chantal J M
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Broers
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Vrije Universiteit Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Reinoud J B J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Gemke
authors.affiliation: 1] Department of Medical Microbiology and Infection Control, Laboratory of Immunogenetics, Vrije Universiteit Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands [2] Department of Genetics and Cell Biology, Faculty of Health, Medicine & Life Sciences, Institute of Public Health Genomics, Research Institute GROW, University of Maastricht, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Servaas A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Morré
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Vrije Universiteit Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Michel E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Weijerman
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Immunology and Rheumatology, Vrije Universiteit Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Anne Marceline
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: van Furth
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004314:Down Syndrome / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000378:metabolism; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D016753:Interleukin-10