Increased production of interleukin-6 and interleukin-8 in scleroderma fibroblasts

• Published in: Journal of dermatological science 1998-03, Vol.16 (2), p.S191-S191
• Main Authors: Kadono, Takafumi, Kikuchi, Kanako, Ihn, Hironobu, Tamaki, Kunihiko
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Cells, Cultured; Fibroblasts - drug effects; Fibroblasts - metabolism; Humans; Interleukin-1 - pharmacology; Interleukin-6 - blood; Interleukin-6 - metabolism; Interleukin-8 - blood; Interleukin-8 - metabolism; Medical sciences; Polymerase Chain Reaction; RNA, Messenger - analysis; Sarcoidosis. Granulomatous diseases of unproved etiology. Connective tissue diseases. Elastic tissue diseases. Vasculitis; Scleroderma, Systemic - metabolism; Transcription, Genetic; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha - pharmacology
• ISSN: 0923-1811; 0315-162X; 1873-569X; 1499-2752
• DOI: 10.1016/S0923-1811(98)84143-1

To determine additional abnormal characteristics related to cytokines in fibroblasts derived from systemic sclerosis (SSc), we examined the production of interleukin 6 (IL-6) and IL-8 and their mRNA levels both in scleroderma fibroblasts and in those from normal skin. Cultured fibroblasts from patients with SSc and healthy controls were examined. Production of IL-6 and IL-8 was assessed by specific ELISA, and the levels of IL-6 and IL-8 mRNA were determined by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Basal production of both IL-6 and IL-8 was significantly increased in scleroderma fibroblasts compared with controls. When cells were stimulated with either IL-1beta (50 pg/ml) or tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha: 10 ng/ml), the production of IL-6 and IL-8 was predominantly increased in both cell strains and there was no significant difference in the production of IL-6 and IL-8 between them. When normal fibroblasts were stimulated with IL-1beta for 48 h and subcultured, both IL-6 and IL-8 production were significantly increased, and production remained elevated even after 3 passages. RT-PCR revealed that IL-6 and IL-8 mRNA were detected in scleroderma fibroblasts but not in normal skin fibroblasts without cytokine stimulation. When stimulated with IL-1beta, both cell strains expressed IL-6 and IL-8 mRNA to almost the same extent. Increased production of IL-6 and IL-8 by scleroderma fibroblasts suggests that these cells may have been stimulated by certain cytokines in vivo.