Potential antiinflammatory effects of interleukin 4: Suppression of human monocyte tumor necrosis factor α, interleukin 1, and prostagandin E2

Abstract

Stimulated human monocytes/macrophages are a source of mediators such as tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin 1 (IL-1), and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), which can modulate inflammatory and immune reactions. Therefore, the ability to control the production of such mediators by monocytes/macrophages may have therapeutic benefits, and its has been proposed that glucocorticoids may act in this way. Purified human monocytes, when stimulated in vitro with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) or with LPS and γ interferon (IFN-γ), produce TNF-α, IL-1, and PGE2. Cotreatment of stimulated cells with the purified human lymphokine, interleukin 4 (IL-4 ≥ 0.1-0.5 unit/ml; 12-60 pM) dramatically blocked the increa..