Home LiteratureArticle Details
PMID: 7883860 Published · ppublish English Journal Article Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S. Review

Cytokine measurements and interpretation of cytokine assays in human disease.

Journal of clinical immunology ·Vol. 14 ·No. 6 ·1994-11-00 ·Pages 327-39

Whiteside TL

Abstract

Cytokines are powerful mediator and communication molecules capable of regulating a wide spectrum of biologic functions, including immune responses. Although the role of cytokines in the pathogenesis of human disease is not yet understood, assays for cytokines have become a common feature in research and clinical laboratories. However, numerous pitfalls accompany measurements of cytokine levels in body fluids and of cytokine synthesis or gene expression in tissue. Interpretation of results obtained in cytokine assays, especially those performed with pathologic specimens, is fraught with difficulties. While cytokine assays are clearly of value in monitoring patients treated with recombinant cytokines or receiving anticytokine therapy, the clinical significance of cytokine assays is not yet fully established. In this review, some of the complexities associated with cytokine monitoring are discussed. The crucial importance of understanding cytokine biology for meaningful assay interpretation is emphasized.

MeSH Terms
Chemistry Techniques, Analytical/methods Chemistry, Clinical/methods Cytokines/analysis,biosynthesis,immunology Humans
Chemicals
Cytokines
Authors & Affiliations
1 authors, click to expand affiliations / ORCID
Whiteside T L
Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pennsylvania.
References (48)
48 references, click to expand
  1. Role of cytokines in experimental arthritis.
    Clin Exp Immunol. 1994 Jul;97(1):1-3 PMID: 8033404
  2. Homology of cytokine synthesis inhibitory factor (IL-10) to the Epstein-Barr virus gene BCRFI.
    Science. 1990 Jun 8;248(4960):1230-4 PMID: 2161559
  3. Biology of multifunctional cytokines: IL 6 and related molecules (IL 1 and TNF).
    FASEB J. 1990 Aug;4(11):2860-7 PMID: 2199284
  4. Regulation of alloreactivity in vivo by a soluble form of the interleukin-1 receptor.
    Science. 1990 May 11;248(4956):739-42 PMID: 2139736
  5. Human TH1 and TH2 subsets: doubt no more.
    Immunol Today. 1991 Aug;12(8):256-7 PMID: 1680337
  6. Role of IL-1 and tumor necrosis factor in coxsackie virus-induced autoimmune myocarditis.
    J Immunol. 1993 Aug 1;151(3):1682-90 PMID: 8335952
  7. In situ hybridisation for cytokine gene transcripts in the solid tumour microenvironment.
    Eur J Cancer. 1993;29A(3):371-7 PMID: 8398338
  8. Non-isotopic in situ detection of mRNA for interleukin-4 in archival human tissue.
    J Immunol Methods. 1994 Jan 3;167(1-2):47-54 PMID: 8308286
  9. Lymphokines and cytokines as cancer treatment. Immunotherapy realized.
    Cancer. 1990 Feb 1;65(3 Suppl):800-14 PMID: 2406003
  10. High levels of "complexed" interleukin-6 in human blood.
    J Biol Chem. 1992 Sep 25;267(27):19698-704 PMID: 1527089
  11. Role of T-cell derived cytokines in the downregulation of immune responses in parasitic and retroviral infection.
    Immunol Rev. 1992 Jun;127:183-204 PMID: 1354651
  12. Recombinant soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor proteins protect mice from lipopolysaccharide-induced lethality.
    Eur J Immunol. 1991 Nov;21(11):2883-6 PMID: 1657617
  13. Purified protein derivative of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and excretory-secretory antigen(s) of Toxocara canis expand in vitro human T cells with stable and opposite (type 1 T helper or type 2 T helper) profile of cytokine production.
    J Clin Invest. 1991 Jul;88(1):346-50 PMID: 1829097
  14. Basic fibroblast growth factor enters the nucleolus and stimulates the transcription of ribosomal genes in ABAE cells undergoing G0----G1 transition.
    Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1987 Oct;84(19):6770-4 PMID: 3477808
  15. Interactions between cytokines and alpha 2-macroglobulin.
    Immunol Today. 1990 May;11(5):163-6 PMID: 1692465
  16. Binding and internalization of interleukin 1 by T cells. Direct evidence for high- and low-affinity classes of interleukin 1 receptor.
    J Exp Med. 1986 Oct 1;164(4):1060-74 PMID: 2944981
  17. Glucocorticoids inhibit transcriptional and post-transcriptional expression of interleukin 1 in U937 cells.
    J Immunol. 1987 Dec 15;139(12):4129-34 PMID: 2826581
  18. Circulating interleukin-1 and tumor necrosis factor in septic shock and experimental endotoxin fever.
    J Infect Dis. 1990 Jan;161(1):79-84 PMID: 2295861
  19. Polymerase chain reaction for detection of cytokine gene expression.
    Curr Opin Immunol. 1992 Apr;4(2):211-5 PMID: 1376605
  20. Bioassay of interleukin-1 in serum and plasma following removal of inhibitory activity with polyethylene glycol.
    J Immunol Methods. 1990 Oct 4;133(1):127-31 PMID: 2212685
  21. Intraarticular expression of biologically active interleukin 1-receptor-antagonist protein by ex vivo gene transfer.
    Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1993 Nov 15;90(22):10764-8 PMID: 8248169
  22. Simultaneous quantitation of cytokine mRNAs in interleukin-1 beta stimulated U373 human astrocytoma cells by a polymerisation chain reaction method involving co-amplification with an internal multi-specific control.
    Eur Cytokine Netw. 1992 Nov-Dec;3(6):553-63 PMID: 1296803
  23. A TH1-->TH2 switch is a critical step in the etiology of HIV infection.
    Immunol Today. 1993 Mar;14(3):107-11 PMID: 8096699
  24. Optimizing the effectiveness of hematopoietic growth factors.
    J Clin Immunol. 1994 Jul;14(4):215-23 PMID: 7523435
  25. Expression of mRNA for cytokines in tumor-infiltrating mononuclear cells in ovarian adenocarcinoma and invasive breast cancer.
    Int J Cancer. 1992 Jun 19;51(4):573-80 PMID: 1601521
  26. High-affinity receptor-mediated internalization and degradation of interleukin 2 in human T cells.
    J Exp Med. 1986 Mar 1;163(3):550-62 PMID: 3005464
  27. The cytokine network.
    Immunol Today. 1989 Sep;10(9):299-304 PMID: 2686679
  28. In vitro cytokine production by normal human peripheral blood mononuclear cells as a measure of immunocompetence or the state of activation.
    Clin Diagn Lab Immunol. 1994 May;1(3):261-8 PMID: 7496960
  29. A receptor for tumor necrosis factor defines an unusual family of cellular and viral proteins.
    Science. 1990 May 25;248(4958):1019-23 PMID: 2160731
  30. Characterization and detection of naturally occurring antibodies against IL-1 alpha and IL-1 beta in normal human plasma.
    Eur Cytokine Netw. 1991 Nov-Dec;2(5):329-38 PMID: 1839507
  31. Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist reduces mortality from endotoxin shock.
    Nature. 1990 Dec 6;348(6301):550-2 PMID: 2147233
  32. Interleukin-1 and interleukin-1 antagonism.
    Blood. 1991 Apr 15;77(8):1627-52 PMID: 1826616
  33. Plasma cytokine and endotoxin levels correlate with survival in patients with the sepsis syndrome.
    Ann Intern Med. 1993 Oct 15;119(8):771-8 PMID: 8379598
  34. Initial evaluation of human recombinant interleukin-1 receptor antagonist in the treatment of sepsis syndrome: a randomized, open-label, placebo-controlled multicenter trial.
    Crit Care Med. 1994 Jan;22(1):12-21 PMID: 8124953
  35. Changes in interleukin-2 and interleukin-4 production in asymptomatic, human immunodeficiency virus-seropositive individuals.
    J Clin Invest. 1993 Mar;91(3):759-65 PMID: 8450057
  36. ELISA kits based on monoclonal antibodies do not measure total IL-1 beta synthesis.
    J Immunol Methods. 1992 Apr 8;148(1-2):255-9 PMID: 1564330
  37. Viral inhibition of the interferon system.
    Pharmacol Ther. 1992;56(1):79-95 PMID: 1284285
  38. Coordinate regulation of immune and inflammatory responses by T cell-derived lymphokines.
    FASEB J. 1988 Jun;2(9):2462-73 PMID: 2836253
  39. IL-10 synergizes with IL-4 and transforming growth factor-beta to inhibit macrophage cytotoxic activity.
    J Immunol. 1992 Jun 1;148(11):3578-82 PMID: 1588047
  40. The role of interleukin-1 in disease.
    N Engl J Med. 1993 Jan 14;328(2):106-13 PMID: 8439348
  41. IL-1 antagonism in inflammatory arthritis.
    Lancet. 1993 Jan 16;341(8838):155-6 PMID: 8093754
  42. Interleukin-1 beta induces interleukin-1 receptor antagonist and tumor necrosis factor binding protein in humans.
    Cancer Res. 1993 Sep 1;53(17):4010-3 PMID: 8395334
  43. Mucosal concentrations of interleukin-1 beta, interleukin-6, interleukin-8, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha in pelvic ileal pouches.
    Dig Dis Sci. 1994 Jul;39(7):1525-31 PMID: 8026266
  44. Interleukin-1 beta in human plasma: optimization of blood collection, plasma extraction, and radioimmunoassay methods.
    Lymphokine Res. 1988 Winter;7(4):457-67 PMID: 3145372
  45. Lack of evidence for the dichotomy of TH1 and TH2 predominance in HIV-infected individuals.
    Science. 1994 Jul 8;265(5169):248-52 PMID: 8023143
  46. Ability of HIV to promote a TH1 to TH0 shift and to replicate preferentially in TH2 and TH0 cells.
    Science. 1994 Jul 8;265(5169):244-8 PMID: 8023142
  47. Cytokine release by single, immunophenotyped human cells: use of the reverse hemolytic plaque assay.
    Immunol Rev. 1991 Feb;119:23-39 PMID: 2045121
  48. Shock and tissue injury induced by recombinant human cachectin.
    Science. 1986 Oct 24;234(4775):470-4 PMID: 3764421
Article Info
Journal
Journal of clinical immunology
Abbr.
J Clin Immunol
ISSN
0271-9142
DOI
10.1007/BF01546317
Published
1994-11-00
Pages
327-39
Language
English
Region
Netherlands
NLM ID
8102137
Subset
IM
Grants
NCI NIH HHS · 1R01-CA63513-01 · United States
NCI NIH HHS · 5P01-CA47445-03 · United States
NCI NIH HHS · 5P01-CA59371-02 · United States
External Links
PubMed source DOI: 10.1007/BF01546317 View journal details
Analysis Services
Analysis Services

Contact

No. 2 Wenbo Road, Zhangqiu District, Jinan, Shandong

Qilu Normal University · Genelibs Bioinformatics Lab

750 Shunhua Rd, Jinan

2F, Bldg F, University Science Park

Tel: 0531-88819269

WeChat Official Account

Follow our WeChat subscription account for real-time updates and the latest in medical and biological research.


Business Email

E-mail: product@genelibs.com

Copyright © 2026.Genelibs Jinan Honghui Biotechnology Co., Ltd. 鲁ICP备20007159号-2