Induction of the anti-inflammatory cytokines interleukins (IL)-10 and interleukins (IL)-13 in atherosclerotic patients

Interleukin (IL)-10 and IL-13 are cytokines with pleiotropic effects, mainly anti-inflammatory. Little information regarding their role in atherosclerosis is known. Thus, more data are needed to elucidate the link between IL-10 and IL-13 and risk for atherosclerosis. The present work explored the induction of these anti-inflammatory cytokines in atherosclerotic patients at gene and protein levels. In addition, the effects of the chlamydial antigen HSP60 from Chlamydia pneumonia (C. pneumonia) and LPS on the induction of IL-10 and IL-13 were examined. Intracellular detection of cytokines mRNA and protein level was assessed by in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry respectively. The results of these experiments showed significantly high levels of mRNA expressed and protein produced IL-10 and IL-13 in patients compared to healthy controls. Cells stimulated with CHSP60 did reveal neither high mRNA expression nor protein production of both cytokines when comparing healthy subjects versus patients. However, CHSP60 induced more mRNA and protein levels in both healthy subjects and patients when compared to nonstimulated cells. Similar results were also depicted when LPS from C. pneumonia and E. coli were used. Thus, this study demonstrated the induction of the anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-10 and IL-13 at both mRNA and protein levels and that bacterial infection does not promote the production of disease beneficial anti-inflammatory cytokines and thus contribute to the disease by providing an opportunity for disease promoting inflammatory responses to take action. (author)