Cytokines are involved in both host defense and inflammatory lung injury. Recent work from our laboratory and others has demonstrated that in addition to classical immune cells, lung alveolar epithelial cells (or pneumocytes) can also produce cytokines in response to various stimuli. This new knowledge has advanced our view of the host defense system in the lung. The regulatory mechanisms of cytokine production have been studied in great detail at various cellular and molecular levels, but the mechanisms of intracellular cytokine transport are largely unknown. Our recent studies suggest that the cytoskeleton could play an important role in mediating intracellular cytokine trafficking. This could be an important regulatory step for cytokine production. For example, lipopolyssacharide (LPS) induced tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) from rat pneumocytes, which was further enhanced by a microfilament-disrupting agent. LPS also induced macrophage inflammatory protein-2(MIP-2), a chemokine for neutrophil recruitment and activation, from rat pneumocytes. This effect was enhanced by microtubule-disrupting agents. We speculate that both microfilaments and microtubules are involved in regulating cytokine transportation in pneumocytes through different mechanisms. Further investigation in on going in my laboratory. From a clinical perspective, if we understand the mechanisms regulating cytokine production and release from lung alveolar epithelial cells, we may be able to enhance or inhibit release of crucial cytokines depending on the clinical situation.

恶性肿瘤患者链式激活的免疫细胞治疗后肿瘤坏死因子α的变化及临床意义

体内回输免疫活性细胞的过继免疫疗法已成为一种重要的肿瘤综合治疗方法[1].它是将体外激活的自体或异体免疫效应细胞输注给患者,以杀伤患者体内的肿瘤细胞.链式激活的免疫细胞(cascade primed immune cells,CAPRI)是德国慕尼黑大学医学院免疫研究所RudolfWank教授的一项用于肿瘤生物治疗的专利技术.该技术是应用患者的外周血淋巴细胞,经活化刺激,获得对肿瘤的特异性杀伤功能,回输后可在体内杀伤肿瘤.实验证明,它不仅能有效提高肿瘤细胞表面抗原的表达,从而恢复已经被阻断的细胞毒细胞的杀伤过程,且具有识别微转移细胞的能力,从而防止转移的发生[2-3].本实验是采用双抗体夹心酶联免疫吸附法(ELISA)检测实体肿瘤患者经CAPRI治疗后外周血血清中肿瘤坏死因子α(tumor necrosis factor α,TNF-α)的变化并对肿瘤患者进行临床疗效观察.