Ali Asghar Ebrahimi; Hamid Noshad; Shahram Sadreddini; Mohammad Saeid Hejazi; Yashar Mohammadzadeh Sadigh; Yashar Eshraghi; Morteza Ghojazadeh
Volume 6, Issue 3 , September 2009, , Pages 147-153
Abstract
Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic multisystem autoimmune disease common in all races and ethnics. Cytokines and cytokines receptors play an important role in RA pathogenesis and clinical presentation. Objective: To investigate the serum levels of TNF-α, TNF-α RI, TNF-α ...
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Background: Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic multisystem autoimmune disease common in all races and ethnics. Cytokines and cytokines receptors play an important role in RA pathogenesis and clinical presentation. Objective: To investigate the serum levels of TNF-α, TNF-α RI, TNF-α RII and IL-12 in RA patients and healthy control group. Methods: In this study 43 patients fulfilling the revised criteria of American College of Rheumatology (ACR) for RA and 13 healthy cases as a control group were selected for TNF-α, TNF-αRI, TNF-αRII and IL-12 serum level analysis. The patients' age was 42.2 ± 22 and the age of healthy group was 40.1 ± 19.2 years (p=0.1). The pa-tients had an active disease with at least six swollen and ten tender joints. Minimum ESR was 28 mm at first hours of the morning. Early morning stiffness in patients lasted longer than 45 minutes. Results: Our study showed that IL-12 serum level of the pa-tients (91.69 ± 43.07 ρg/ml) and control (61.79 ± 40.08 ρg/ml) group was significantly different (p<0.001). The serum level of TNF-αRI was 2.36 ± 0.77 ng/ml in the patient and 1.73 ± 0.37 ng/ml in the control group (p<0.01). TNF-αRII serum concentration in patients was 8.89 ± 2.3 ng/ml, while that of control group was 7.06±1.30 ng/ml (p=0.03). The serum level of TNF-α in patients was 32.90 ± 19.27 ρg/ml and that of the control group was 24.27± 8.28 ρg/ml (p=0.08) with no significant difference between the two. Conclusions: It is concluded that IL-12, TNF-αRI and TNF- αRII serum con-centrations are more important and better predictive factors than TNF-α in RA course and in the active forms of the disease.
Kazem Ahmadi; Majid Riazipour
Volume 4, Issue 4 , December 2007, , Pages 220-226
Abstract
Background: The water-soluble extract of Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi) has been used as an immunomodulator to stimulate spleen cells proliferation and cytokine expression. Objective: To investigate the effect of Ganoderma lucidum (G. lucidum) on cytokine production by mice peritoneal macrophages. Methods: ...
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Background: The water-soluble extract of Ganoderma lucidum (Reishi) has been used as an immunomodulator to stimulate spleen cells proliferation and cytokine expression. Objective: To investigate the effect of Ganoderma lucidum (G. lucidum) on cytokine production by mice peritoneal macrophages. Methods: Mice peritoneal macrophages were prepared by intra-peritoneal injection of 5 ml cold PBS. Peritoneal macrophages were plated out at 1X106 cell/well in 1ml RPMI 1640 medium supplemented with 10%FCS, 50 μg streptomycin and 50U penicillin. Cells were incubated in the presence or absence of different concentrations of G. lucidum at 370C and 5% CO2 for 48 hours. Cell free medium was removed and used for cytokine assay by ELISA method (Bender med system). Results: The results showed no significant differences in cell viability at concentrations ranged from 0-40 μg/ml compared with control group. G. lucidum enhanced IL-1β, TNF-α and NO production in a concentration dependent manner. However, it is not clear if the enhancement of NO release is due to direct effect of G. lucidum on NO synthesis or by indirect endogenous modulation via cytokines. IL-12 release by peritoneal macrophages was also increased in response to different concentrations of G. lucidum, but maximum enhancement was induced in response to 5 μg/ml of G. lucidum (p<0.001). Conclusion: Our results indicate that G. lucidum at concentrations used has a positive effect on cytokine release and NO production by peritoneal macrophages. Therefore, it is concluded that G. lucidum at moderate concentrations improves macrophage function through cytokine and NO release.