T. Mikuniya et al., QUANTITATIVE-EVALUATION OF THE IL-1-BETA AND IL-1 RECEPTOR ANTAGONISTOBTAINED FROM BALF MACROPHAGES IN PATIENTS WITH INTERSTITIAL LUNG-DISEASES, Sarcoidosis vasculitis and diffuse lung diseases, 14(1), 1997, pp. 39-45
Our previous reports demonstrated the concomitant release of IL-1 beta
and IL-L inhibitory activity in the culture supernatants of BALF macr
ophages in both healthy subjects and patients with interstitial lung d
iseases. IL-1 inhibitory activities decreased in healthy smokers (HS),
and patients with sarcoidosis (Sar), or idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
(IPF), compared with those in healthy nonsmokers (HNS), though an inc
rease in IL-1 beta release was not detected. IL-1 inhibitory activity
was mainly characterized as IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra). In this
study, we confirmed a decrease in IL-1ra in terms of the amounts of p
rotein (enzyme-linked immunoassay) and gene transcripts (reverse trans
criptase polymerase chain reaction followed by high performance liquid
chromatography). Imbalance between IL-1ra and IL-1 beta was expressed
as a molar ratio of IL-1ra/IL-1 beta protein: (Sar; 4.20 +/- 2.06, IP
F; 4.26 +/- 3.41, HS; 3.44 +/- 3.09 versus NS 8.33 +/- 2.77: P < 0.001
). These results were similar in terms of the amounts of gene transcri
pts. In conclusion, the imbalance of IL-1 beta and IL-1ra production w
as confirmed at three levels: biological activity, amounts of protein,
and gene transcript obtained from BALF macrophages in chronic inflamm
atory processes in the lungs.