Characterization of IL-1 inhibitor released from alveolar macrophage and evaluation of chronic inflammation in lungs.

我们试图检查肺间质性疾病患者或健康吸烟者与健康非吸烟者相比，肺泡巨噬细胞产生IL-1和IL-1抑制剂之间是否存在不平衡，因为这种不平衡可能导致肺部慢性低度炎症的发展。研究结果如下：1。患者和吸烟者肺泡巨噬细胞培养上清液中IL-1活性升高，IL-1抑制剂明显降低。通过受体结合试验鉴定IL-1抑制剂为IL-1受体拮抗剂。采用反式pcr法检测IL-1和IL-1受体拮抗剂基因的表达，并通过表达与保家基因（G6-PD）的比值进行标准化。结果显示，与健康的非吸烟者相比，患者或吸烟者IL-1受体拮抗剂的表达有所减少。IL-1受体拮抗剂的表达降低可能在肺间质性疾病患者和吸烟者的肺部慢性炎症过程中起作用。

We tried to examine whether an unbalance between IL-1 and IL-1 inhibitor production from alveolar macrophages in patients with interstitial lung diseases or healthy smokers, compared with healthy nonsmokers,because such unbalance may contribute to a development of chronic low grade inflammation in lungs.The results were:1. Increase in IL-1 activities and significant decrease in IL-1 inhibitor were detected in the culture supernatants of alveolar macrophages from patients or smokers.2. IL-1 inhibitor was identified as IL-1 receptor antagonist by using receptor binding assay.3. IL-1 and IL-1 receptor antagonist gene expression were examined by using reverse-PCR method, and standardized by expressing the ratio to house keeping gene(G6-PD). The results showed a decrease in the expression of IL-1 receptor antagonist in patients or smokers, compared with healthy nonsmokers. Decreased expression of IL-1 receptor antagonist may have a role of developping chronic inflammatory process in lungs in patient with interstitial lung diseases and smokers.