CULTURE OF HUMAN PERITONEUM - A NEW METHOD TO MEASURE THE LOCAL CYTOKINE RESPONSE AND THE EFFECT OF IMMUNOMODULATORS

The production of cytokines and chemokines, which are involved in cell activation and cell migration in native pieces of peritoneum, was mea sured to Investigate immune regulatory reactions in the human peritone um, The samples were obtained during abdominal surgery and cultured im mediately afterwards. In order to test therapeutic options in vitro, t he effect of IL-10 and IFN-gamma on the cytokine and chemokine product ion was also studied. The chemokine monocyte chemotactic protein-1 (MC P-1) was produced and released spontaneously. When lipopolysaccharide (LPS) was added, MCP-1 production increased. In addition, TNF-or produ ction was induced by LPS, When IL-10 was added, LPS-stimulated TNF-alp ha production was reduced towards baseline levels, LPS-induced MCP-1 p roduction was reduced by 37%, IFN-alpha did not affect LPS-induced.TNF -alpha and MCP-1 production, but increased baseline MCP-1 production, It can be concluded that short-time culture of native human peritoneum is a method to investigate peritoneal chemokine and cytokine producti on in patients undergoing abdominal surgery. Further studies are inten ded to detect cytokine patterns which identify patients at risk of dev eloping peritonitis, In addition, the effects of medications may be te sted in vitro in order to investigate options for preventive modulatio n of the peritoneal immune response in such patients.