TRANSCRIPTION OF PLASMA-PROTEINS GENES IN LIVER DURING THE ACUTE-PHASE OF A SYSTEMIC INFLAMMATION

In the acute phase of a systemic inflammatory response, the so-called proinflammatory cytokines (interleukin-1 [IL-1]; IL-6) trigger signifi cant changes in protein syntheses in liver. The hepatocyte is a source for most plasma proteins. Among the latter, many display a transient, up- (positive proteins) or down-regulated (negative proteins) synthes is during the acute phase. These regulations take place mostly at a tr anscriptional level and involve several families of nuclear factors. S ome factors are primarily responsible for a basal and specific gene ex pression in liver (i.e. HNF factors and some factors of the C/EBP and STAT families). Other nuclear factors are mediators for the IL-1- (i.e . some factors of C/EBP family) or IL-6-regulated pathways (some facto rs of STAT family; glucocorticoid receptor). This paper reviews our kn owledge of the molecular events (binding sites and factors in a given gene; synergism or antagonism between factors for gene binding; synerg ism in gene activation) that regulate the transcription of some genes coding for positive or negative plasma proteins. The equal importance of the NF-kappa B and C/EBP factors in the IL-1-driven gene response, the growing number of STAT factors involved in the IL-6-driven one as well as, in some instances, the simultaneous involvement of both sets of IL 1- or IL-6-associated factors are outlined.