REGULATION OF INTERLEUKIN-1 RECEPTOR ANTAGONIST BY TH1 AND TH2 CYTOKINES

Airway inflammation is an important aspect of asthma. Recent studies of airway inflammation in asthma have focused attention on cytokines released by T helper lymphocyte type 1 (Th1)- and Th2-Like T cells. Interleukin (IL)-1 is also increased in the airways of asthmatics, and it is most likely derived from airway and alveolar macrophages. The effects of Th1 or Th2 cytokines on the release of IL-1 or its specific antagonist, IL-1ra, have not been well studied. We examined the response of THP-1 cells, a myelomonocytic cell line, to stimulation with various Th1 and Th2 cytokines and found that IL-4, IL-10, and IFN-gamma increased IL-1ra mRNA and protein release. The increase in mRNA was not due to an increase in IL-1ra mRNA stability. IL-4 (10 ng/ml) increased IL-1ra release from 9,641 +/- 322 [from cells stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) alone] to 50,796 +/- 1,917 pg/ml (from cells stimulated with LPS and IL-4). IL-10 (10 ng/ml) caused a similar upregulation of IL-1ra from LPS-stimulated cells: 87,478 +/- 7,808 compared with 8,004 +/- 1,166 pg/ml released from the cells stimulated with LPS alone. Cells stimulated with IFN-gamma (100 U/ml) and LPS released 27,854 +/- 3,626 pg/ml of IL-1ra, compared with 9,069 +/- 236 pg/ml in the presence of LPS alone. In addition, the Th1 cytokine, IFN-gamma, but not the Th2 cytokines, IL-4 and IL-10, upregulated IL-1 beta mRNA and increased the release of IL-1 beta protein. Similar studies were performed using freshly isolated monocytes. These data suggest that the Th2 cytokines, IL-4 and IL-10, may cause an overall reduction of IL-1 activity. The findings may be relevant to the inflammatory response of asthma.