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J Hulkkonen

Publications and source records attributed to J Hulkkonen.

24 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed2000

Interleukin-1 beta, interleukin-1 receptor antagonist and interleukin-6 plasma levels and cytokine gene polymorphisms in chronic lymphocytic leukemia: correlation with prognostic parameters.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The growth of B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) cells has been shown to be dependent on exogenous growth factors in vitro. We wanted to evaluate the clinical relevance of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1 beta and interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) in B-CLL. As the plasma levels of IL-6, IL-1 beta and IL-1Ra have been suggested to be partly dependent on gene polymorphism, the previously described polymorphisms of the IL-1 complex genes and the IL-6 gene were also studied. DESIGN AND METHODS: The plasma levels of these cytokines were measured in a cohort of 36 patients with B-CLL and in 400 healthy subjects. The previously described polymorphisms of the IL-1 complex genes and the IL-6 gene were studied using PCR and RFLP. These data was correlated with other parameters associated with severity and prognosis of B-CLL and a number of clinical and laboratory findings. RESULTS: The plasma concentrations of IL-1 beta and IL-1Ra were lower in B-CLL patients than in normal controls (p < 0.001). The IL-1 beta plasma levels were dependent on the cell immunophenotype score and state of progression of the disease. Moreover, plasma concentrations of IL-6 were elevated in B-CLL patients compared with healthy subjects (p < 0.005) and correlated with disease stage, hemoglobin levels, anemia and erythrocyte sedimentation rate in the patients. The allele frequencies of the analyzed genes were similar in patients and controls. INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSIONS: Our data demonstrate that in B-CLL, plasma levels of IL-1 beta, IL-1Ra and IL-6 differ from normal, and mechanisms other than allelic imbalance of their genes account for the distinct cytokine profiles observed in this disease.

Aged↗
PubMed2000

A rare allele combination of the interleukin-1 gene complex is associated with high interleukin-1 beta plasma levels in healthy individuals.

Increases in the plasma levels of the inflammatory cytokines can be detected in various infectious and inflammatory diseases, but in healthy individuals these levels are in most cases low or undetectable. There is now increasing evidence that genes of the inflammatory cytokines are polymorphic and the various alleles may differ in their capability to produce the cytokine. We have measured the plasma levels IL-1 beta of 400 healthy blood donors and correlated these to the genotype (biallelelic base exchanges at the position - 889 of the IL-1 alpha gene, and at the position - 511 of the IL-1 beta gene and the pentaallelic VNTR in the second intron of the IL-1Ra gene). The median concentration of IL-1 beta was 5.8 pg/ml (upper and lower quartiles 2.2-13.6). The polymorphisms of the IL-1 beta and IL-1 Ra genes did not have any significant influence on the IL-1 beta levels, but the IL-1 alpha 2.2 homozygotes (32/400 blood donors) had significantly elevated levels (median 7.0 pg/ml, quartiles 2.2-22.4, one-way ANOVA p < 0.008 as compared to the IL-1 alpha 1.1 homozygotes and p < 0.02 as compared to the IL-1 alpha 1.2 heterozygotes). This effect of IL-1 alpha 2.2 homozygosity was more pronounced in donors, who also were carriers of the IL-1 beta allele 2. Thus these data suggest that this allele combination has a regulatory effect on basal IL-1 beta production.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1999

Increased in vitro production of interleukin 6 in response to trimethoprim among persons with trimethoprim induced systemic adverse reactions.

OBJECTIVE: Trimethoprim occasionally triggers a systemic adverse reaction including fever, malaise, head and backache, and even overt meningeal irritation, particularly in women with an autoimmune rheumatic disease. To study the unknown pathogenesis of the reaction we measured the effect of trimethoprim upon the cytokine [interleukin (IL) 2, 6, 10, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha] production of trimethoprim reactive and tolerant persons' peripheral blood mononuclear cells in vitro. METHODS: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 12 women reactive to trimethoprim (3 with primary Sjögren's syndrome, 3 with systemic lupus erythematosus, 1 with systemic scleroderma, 5 with no rheumatic disease) were cultured in the presence of trimethoprim, and the cytokine production was measured. Eleven women who tolerated trimethoprim (6 with Sjögren's syndrome and 5 with no rheumatic disease) served as controls. RESULTS: Therapeutic trimethoprim concentration induced in the mononuclear cells of the trimethoprim reactive patients significantly higher IL-6 production [mean +/- SD (median), 2034+/-2965 (572) pg/ml] versus cells of the trimethoprim tolerant subjects [954+/-2552 (89) pg/ml; p = 0.036]. No significant differences in the production of other cytokines were detected. CONCLUSION: Trimethoprim induces IL-6 production in the peripheral blood mononuclear cells of trimethoprim reactive persons. We suggest that IL-6 production is the probable trigger leading to the clinical reaction.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Diminished production of interleukin-6 in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (B-CLL) cells from patients at advanced stages of disease. Tampere CLL Group.

The production of the cytokines interleukin-6 (IL-6) and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in B-CLL cells from 24 patients at different stages of chronic lymphocytic B-cell leukaemia (B-CLL) was investigated in vitro. In the majority of these cases, low spontaneous IL-6 production was measured. Mitogenic stimulation with phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) or PMA plus interleukin-2 (IL-2) resulted in a tremendous increase in TNF-alpha and IL-6 production in cells representing early stage (Binet A) disease. In contrast, very little, if any, production took place in cells from patients with advanced stage (Binet C) B-CLL. The results from stage B patients were intermediate. The most remarkable difference was recorded in PMA-stimulated (1 ng/ml) IL-6 production. In stimulated 72 h cultures, IL-6 concentrations were 1280 +/- 1080 pg/ml for Binet A (n = 11), 757 +/- 597 pg/ml for Binet B (n = 8) and 46.0 +/- 84.0 pg/ml for Binet C (n = 5). The differences in IL-6 production between stage C v B and stage C v A were both statistically significant (P=0.025). Similar effects, but to a lesser extent, were observed in TNF-alpha production. These results suggest that the varying capacity to produce IL-6 and TNF-alpha may play a role in B-CLL progression and in clinical manifestations of the disease.

Aged↗
PubMed1996

Signals leading to the activation of NF-kappa B transcription factor are stronger in neonatal than adult T lymphocytes.

The molecular background of the defects in the immune reactivity of human neonates has not been fully elucidated. As the NF-kappa B transcription factor has a central role in the control of transcription of several genes involved in immune and inflammatory responses, the authors have analysed the activation of NF-kappa B in human umbilical cord T lymphocytes. The activity was tested by quantitating the nuclear proteins binding to an oligonucleotide containing the consensus kappa B binding sequence (electrophoretic mobility shift assay). The data obtained demonstrate that phorbol dibutyrate/calcium ionophore A23187 (PDBu/iono) combination induced a clearly higher nuclear translocation of NF-kappa B in neonatal than adult T cells. This higher NF-kappa B activity was restricted to the CD4+ T-cell subset. Analysis of the nuclear extracts with antibodies directed against the major components of NF-kappa B the p50 and RelA (p65) proteins, indicated that the composition of NF-kappa B was similar in neonatal and adult cells. These results suggest that neonatal T cells are exposed to oxidative stress-inducing signals during delivery and/or are inherently more sensitive to NF-kappa B activating signals than adult T cells.

Adult↗