title: Anti-inflammatory response following uptake of apoptotic bodies by meningothelial cells.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Meningothelial cells (MECs) are the cellular components of the meninges. As such, they provide important barrier function for the central nervous system (CNS) building the interface between neuronal tissue and the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and are also part of the immune response of the CNS.
  
  
  METHODS
  Human, immortalized MECs were analyzed by flow cytometry and confocal microscopy to study the uptake of apoptotic cells. Furthermore, cytokine and chemokine production by MECs was analyzed by cytokine array and ELISA.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that MECs are highly active phagocytes able of ingesting and digesting large amounts of apoptotic cells. Furthermore, the uptake of apoptotic cells by MECs was immune suppressive via inhibiting the secretion of pro-inflammatory and chemoattractant cytokines and chemokines IL-6, IL-8, IL-16, MIF, and CXCL1, while increasing the secretion of anti-inflammatory IL-1 receptor antagonist by MECs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  MECs respond with the secretion of anti-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines following the uptake of apoptotic cells potentially connecting these cells to processes important for the shut-down of immune responses in the brain.
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Meyer
authors.forename: Hanspeter E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Killer
authors.forename: Josef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Flammer
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedicine, University Basel, Basel, Switzerland. albert.neutzner@unibas.ch.
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Neutzner
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008579:Meningioma / Q000473:pathology; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000503:physiopathology; D010586:Phagocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines