HEMOZOIN DIFFERENTIALLY MODULATES THE PRODUCTION OF INTERLEUKIN-6 ANDTUMOR-NECROSIS-FACTOR IN MURINE MALARIA

When murine peritoneal macrophages were loaded in vitro with Plasmodiu m vinckei hemozoin and stimulated for 24 hours with interferon-gamma a nd/or Escherichia coil lipopolysaccharide, the production of interleuk in 6 (IL-6) was drastically reduced, whereas the secretion of tumor ne crosis factor (TNF) was increased. In addition, non-radioactive in sit u hybridizations in spleen sections of P. vinckei infected mice showed more TNF than IL-6 gene expression in the red pulp around hemozoin ac cumulation. These results provide evidence that IL-6 and TNF are diffe rentially modulated by hemozoin and that subsequently, the secretion o f IL-6 seems to be independent of the TNF production during murine mal aria.