Levels Of MDC Research Articles

Characterization of chemokines and chemokine receptors in two murine models of inflammatory bowel disease: IL-10-/- mice and Rag-2-/- mice reconstituted with CD4+CD45RBhigh T cells.

We used quantitative PCR to investigate the expression of chemokines and chemokine receptors in two Th1-mediated murine models of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). First, mRNA levels encoding the chemokines MIG, RANTES, lymphotactin, MIP-3alpha, TCA-3, TARC, MIP-3beta, LIX, MCP-1 and MIP-1beta and the receptors CCR4, CCR6 and CCR2 were significantly increased in chronically inflamed colons of IL-10-/- mice when compared with wildtype mice. Interestingly, reversal of colitis in IL-10-/- mice by anti-IL-12 mAb was accompanied by the inhibition in the expression of LIX, lymphotactin, MCP-1, MIG, MIP-3alpha, MIP-3beta, TCA-3, CCR2 and CCR4, whereas the increased mRNA levels of MIP-1beta, RANTES, TARC and CCR6 were unaffected. Second, to investigate which chemokines and receptors were up-regulated during the inductive phase of colitis, we employed the CD4+CD45RBhigh T cell transfer model. At 4 and 8 weeks after reconstitution of Rag-2-/- mice the mRNA levels of IP-10, MCP-1, MDC, MIG, TARC, RANTES, CCR4 and CCR5 were significantly increased prior to the appearance of macroscopic lesions. Other chemokines and chemokine receptors were clearly associated with the acute phase of the disease when lesions were evident. The sum of our studies with these two models identifies chemokines that are expressed at constant levels, irrespective of inflammatory responses, and those that are specifically associated with acute and/or chronic stages of Th1-driven colitis.

Serum Levels of MDC and MMP-9 and the Relationship Between Serum Levels and Disease Activity in the Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus.

Background and Objective:Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complicated autoimmune disease. Although its pathogenesis is not clear, cytokine may be involved in it. So we investigated serum levels of macrophage-derived chemokine (MDC), and matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), and to determine the relationship between serum levels and the disease activity of SLE.Methods:Serum levels of MDC and MMP-9 were measured by enzyme-linked immuno sorbent assay (ELISA).Results:Significantly decreased serum levels of MDC and MMP-9 were found in SLE as compared to those in controls (P<0.001 P<0.001), but serum levels of MDC and MMP-9 increased after treatment (P<0.001 P<0.05). Serum levels of MDC and MMP-9 were lower in patients with active disease than those with inactive disease (P<0.001 P<0.05). Significantly decreased serum levels of MDC and MMP-9 were found in patients with renal damage than those without the damage (P<0.001 P<0.05). Serum level of MDC was lower in patients with arthritis than those without the damage (P<0.001), but serum level of MMP-9 has no significant difference in two groups (P>0.05).Conclusion:The present data suggest that MDC and MMP-9 may be involved in the pathogenesis of SLE, and serum levels of MDC and MMP-9 could be markers of monitoring disease activity, renal damage, disease progression and improvement in SLE.