Kupffer cells, the resident liver macrophages have long been considered as mostly scavenger cells responsible for removing particulate material from the portal circulation. However, evidence derived mostly from animal models, indicates that Kupffer cells may be implicated in the pathogenesis of various liver diseases including viral hepatitis, steatohepatitis, alcoholic liver disease, intrahepatic cholostasis, activation or rejection of the liver during liver transplantation and liver fibrosis. There is accumulating evidence, reviewed in this paper, suggesting that Kupffer cells may act both as effector cells in the destruction of hepatocytes by producing harmful soluble mediators as well as antigen presenting cells during viral infections of the liver. Moreover they may represent a significant source of chemoattractant molecules for cytotoxic CD8 and regulatory T cells. Their role in fibrosis is well established as they are one of the main sources of TGFbeta1 production, which leads to the transformation of stellate cells into myofibroblasts. Whether all these variable functions in the liver are mediated by different Kupffer cell subpopulations remains to be evaluated. In this review we propose a model that demonstrates the role of Kupffer cells in the pathogenesis of liver disease.

Intestinal myofibroblasts have been implicated in the pathogenesis of chronic inflammatory conditions such as Crohn's disease via interactions with an elaborate network of cytokines, growth factors, and other inflammatory mediators. CXCR3 is a Galpha(i) protein-coupled receptor that binds the proinflammatory chemokines CXCL9, CXCL10, and CXCL11, which are released from the intestinal epithelium. The three CXCR3 ligands shared the ability to activate biochemical (e.g., PI3K and MAPK activation) and functional events (actin reorganization) in intestinal myofibroblasts. However, CXCL11 is unique in its ability to elevate intracellular calcium. Surprisingly, although CXCR3 mRNA is detectable in these myofibroblasts, there is no detectable surface expression of CXCR3. Furthermore, the biochemical responses and actin reorganization stimulated by the CXCR3 ligands in intestinal myofibroblasts are insensitive to the Galpha(i) inhibitor, pertussis toxin. This suggests either the existence of differential receptor coupling mechanisms in myofibroblasts for CXCR3 that are distinct from those observed in PBLs and/or that these cells express a modified or variant CXCR3 compared with the CXCR3 expressed on PBLs.

Our results suggest that IL-6 may be a marker reflecting tumor burden, disease severity and response to treatment in WM. With regard to sIL-6R, we believe that it does not seem to be of much value, and its role remains to be clarified. However, future studies are needed to confirm and further extend the present results.

Differential chemokine production by colonic epithelial cells is thought to contribute to the characteristic increased infiltration of selected population of leukocytes cells in inflammatory bowel disease. We have previously demonstrated that IL-13 enhances IL-1alpha-induced IL-8 secretion by the colonic epithelial cell line HT-29. We have now explored the C-C chemokine expression and modulation in this system. The combination of TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma was the minimal stimulation required for regulated on activation, normal T cell expressed and secreted (RANTES) and monocyte chemoattractant protein (MCP-1) mRNA expression and secretion by HT-29 cells. The same stimulation induced a stronger IL-8 mRNA expression and secretion. Pretreatment with IL-13 or IL-4, reduced significantly the RANTES, and MCP-1, but not IL-8 mRNA expression and secretion. In contrast, IL-10 had no effect on either MCP-1, or RANTES, or IL-8 generation. Pretreatment of HT-29 cells with wortmannin suggested that the IL-13-induced inhibition of C-C chemokine expression is via activation of a wortmannin-sensitive phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase. These data demonstrate that colonic epithelial cell chemokine production can be differentially regulated by T cell-derived cytokines and suggest an interplay between epithelial cells and T lymphocytes potentially important in the intestinal inflammation.

Objective: Experimental evidence suggests that fetal exposure to androgen excess may program the development of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) in utero. The aim of this study was to examine whether the sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG)(TAAAA)n and the cytochrome P450, family 19 (CYP19)(TTTA)n polymorphisms, known to influence sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) levels and aromatase activity respectively, play a synergistic role in the development of PCOS. Design and methods: We studied 180 women with PCOS and 160 healthy women of reproductive age. The body mass index (BMI) was recorded and the hormonal profile determined from the third to fifth day of menstrual cycle. DNA was extracted from blood leucocytes and the SHBG(TAAAA)n and CYP19(TTTA)n polymorphisms were genotyped. Results: Genotype analysis revealed 6 SHBG(TAAAA)n alleles with 6-11 repeats and 6 CYP19(TTTA)n alleles with 7-12 repeats. Women were subdivided into four groups: those with short SHBG (%8 TAAAA repeats) and CYP19 alleles (%9 TTTA repeats), those with short SHBG-long CYP19 alleles, those with long SHBG-short CYP19 alleles, and those with long SHBG and CYP19 alleles. Women with PCOS tended to have at greater frequency, long SHBG-short CYP19 alleles compared with controls (57.3 vs 42.4%, PZ0.07). Importantly, PCOS women with long SHBG-short CYP19 alleles had the lowest SHBG levels (PZ0.02) and the highest total testosterone (PZ0.008), free androgen index (PZ0.002), DHEAS (PZ0.02), and testosterone/estradiol ratio (PZ0.03), compared with those with other genotypes. This association was independent of age, BMI, and insulin resistance indexes. Conclusion: We speculate that the SHBG and CYP19 genes may have a synergistic role in the developmental programming of PCOS, by affecting androgen bioavailability and aromatization respectively. European Journal of Endocrinology 158 861-865