[The regulatory functions of pro-inflammatory cytokines and acute-phase proteins].

Abstract The paper provides a brief review of recent basic studies made by the Department of Immunology, Institute of Experimental Medicine, Saint Petersburg. They show that with a panel of macrophage-like cell lines of varying maturation (P388D, THP-1, U937, HL-60), the ability to produce TNF alpha spontaneously and to synthesize TNF alpha in response to atherogenic low-density lipoprotein stimulation correlates with the degree of cell differentiation that can be in turn induced by agents such as phorbol myristic acetate. The TNF alpha molecular site responsible for the macrophage-activating action of TNF alpha was identified as peptide 123-131. The latter was demonstrated to be uninvolved in the cytotoxic activity of TNF alpha. In addition to its activating and modulating effects against neutrophils, monocytes, and lymphocytes, the acute-phase reactant C-reactive protein was found to be able to bind the antiinflammatory cytokines IL-4 and TGF beta.