The phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase pathway selectively controls sIL-1RA not interleukin-1beta production in the septic leukocytes.

Microbial components such as bacterial endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS) can trigger highly lethal septic shock. The cardinal features of septic leukocytes include the repressed production of inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin-1 beta (IL-1beta), and elevated production of anti-inflammatory cytokines, such as secretory interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (sIL-1RA). Pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine gene transcriptions are equally repressed in septic leukocytes due to disruption of the LPS signaling pathway at the level of interleukin-1 receptor-associated kinase. The selective elevation of sIL-1RA protein in septic blood is caused by efficient translation of residual sIL-1RA message. In this study, we report that the LPS-inducible phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-kinase)-dependent signaling pathway contributes to the elevated translation of sIL-1RA in septic/LPS-adapted leukocytes. We also observe that this pathway is gene specific and does not affect the production of proinflammatory IL-1beta protein.