title: [Pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokine responses of peripheral blood mononuclear cells in apparently healthy subjects].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the changes in the expression of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and elucidate the inflammatory status of apparently healthy subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Peripheral blood samples (5 ml) were collected after fasting for more than 8 h from 14 healthy control subjects and 14 apparently healthy subjects with elevated serum high-sensitivity CRP (hsCRP) level (≥ 2.0 mg/L). PBMCs were separated by Ficoll density gradient centrifugation and the total RNA was extracted for real-time quantitative PCR analysis of the inflammatory cytokines, and plasma was separated for ELISA analysis of interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) expressions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The gene expressions of TNF-α and MCPIP were significantly increased in PBMCs of apparently healthy subjects, while IL-6 and MCP-1 only showed slight elevations; IL-10 expression in PBMCs decreased significantly in apparently healthy subjects as compared to that in the control group. The results of ELISA showed significantly elevated TNF-α level without significant changes of plasma IL-6 level in apparently healthy subjects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In apparently healthy subjects with normal lipid levels, chronic low-grade inflammation has occurred shown by elevated expressions of the pro-inflammatory cytokines and lowered expressions of the anti-inflammatory cytokines.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710061, China. E-mail: gaoshanshj@163.com.
authors.forename: Shanshan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Shan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shu
authors.forename: Lijun
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Zuyi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yuan
mesh_terms: D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D015870:Gene Expression; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation / Q000276:immunology*; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000097:blood*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology*; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: C508609:IL10 protein, human; C508600:IL6 protein, human; D015850:Interleukin-6; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016753:Interleukin-10