pubmed:abstractText |
This study focused on the role of the HIV-derived viral protein, tat, in activating central nervous system (CNS)-derived endothelial cells (EC) to produce interleukin-8 (IL-8), a stimulator and chemoattractant for neutrophils and lymphocytes. Human CNS-EC treated with tat (100 ng/ml) demonstrated a 2 to 3 fold upregulation in IL-8 mRNA and protein. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) and tat were found to act additively in upregulating IL-8 production. In contrast, transforming growth factor beta (TGF beta), appeared to down modulate tat-induced IL-8 production. These data suggest that extracellular tat, especially in the presence of TNF, may be responsible for the local production of IL-8.
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pubmed:affiliation |
Department of Pathology, HMR 312, University of Southern California, School of Medicine, Los Angeles 90033, USA.
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