Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: EC:2.7.7.49 (reverse transcriptase)
 31,746 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Tumour necrosis factor (TNF), a cytokine produced mainly by macrophages, has also been found in vascular smooth muscle cells. Elevated serum levels of TNF have been reported in various cardiac diseases, especially congestive heart failure (CHF). Although the myocardium produces several cytokines, the expression of TNF in human cardiac tissue has not yet been demonstrated. We examined TNF expression in right atrial (RA) specimens obtained from 15 patients during cardiac surgery with immunohistochemistry using an anti-human TNF monoclonal antibody, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). TNF immunoreactivity was found only in cardiac myocytes and some vascular smooth muscle cells of small vessels of specimens from patients with severe CHF (3/5), and not in those from patients without severe CHF (0/10). ELISA of four RA specimens revealed that RA tissues from two patients with severe CHF contained more TNF than did those from two patients without severe CHF (3.1 and 4.7 pg/mg vs. 0.1 and 0.3 pg/mg). RT-PCR revealed TNF mRNA in all seven cases we examined. It was concluded that TNF mRNA is expressed by atrial tissue. The production of immunoreactive TNF-like peptides by myocytes and vascular smooth muscle cells is augmented in patients with severe CHF.
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PMID:Tumour necrosis factor is expressed in cardiac tissues of patients with heart failure. 881 44

Tumour necrosis factor "alpha" (TNF "alpha") is a pleiotropic cytokine that is produced mainly by monocytes and macrophages. TNF "alpha" appears to be responsible for many of the inflammatory and necrotic changes seen in malignant or infectious liver diseases. In addition, blood levels of TNF "alpha" have been reported to be elevated in those with hepatic diseases. Although TNF "alpha" is synthesized mainly by monocytes and macrophages, its production has recently been found in nonhaemopoietic cells as well. Therefore we have used the human liver cell line HepG2 to test for the inducible production of TNF "alpha" in hepatic parenchymal cells. No constitutive TNF "alpha" gene expression was detected by quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). However, treatment with the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin 1 "beta" (IL-1 "beta") or phorbol 12-myristate-acetate (PMA) led to a marked increase in TNF "alpha" mRNA levels. Maximal TNF "alpha" mRNA levels were observed after 3-h incubation periods, decreased thereafter and became undetectable after 12 h. The culture supernatant from cells treated with IL-1 "beta" or PMA contained significant amounts of TNF "alpha" protein which was immunologically detectable and biologically active. We believe that our report of inducible TNF "alpha" production in this widely available hepatic cell line adds a valuable tool for understanding TNF "alpha" gene expression in nonhaematopoietic cells.
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PMID:Interleukin 1 beta and phorbol ester induce tumour necrosis factor alpha production in a hepatic cell line (HepG2). 892 10

Endothelial cells act as an interface between the blood and tissues, and are known to be involved in inflammatory processes. These cells are responsive to and produce different cytokines. Tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) not only is one of the most important inflammatory peptides, but also can be induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The focus of the present study was on TNF-alpha gene expression and production in human umbilical arterial endothelial cells (HUAEC), including the kinetics of this process. Interleukin-1alpha (IL-1alpha), LPS and TNF-alpha, which are all known to be elevated in septic shock, were used as stimulators at concentrations commonly found in patients with sepsis. Through the use of reverse transcriptase/PCR, immunohistochemical reactions and ELISA techniques, we showed that, in HUAEC, all three stimuli were able to induce gene expression and production of TNF-alpha. Furthermore, this induction by IL-1alpha, LPS and TNF-alpha occurred in a time- and concentration-dependent manner in these cells. TNF-alpha expression and production was induced by all three agents at concentrations commonly found in patients with sepsis. TNF-alpha mRNA was observed within 30 min regardless of the stimulus used, but the levels peaked at different times. Since it is well established that TNF-alpha is able to induce the synthesis of IL-1alpha in endothelial cells and, as shown in the present study, TNF-alpha and IL-1alpha are themselves able to induce the synthesis of TNF-alpha in endothelial cells, an autocrine potentiation of cytokine release in sepsis can be proposed. This situation could lead to a locally acting 'vicious cycle' which, when considered in addition to the known ability of TNF-alpha to induce apoptosis, could mean that various organs will be damaged, a condition associated with sepsis. Thus these results provide further evidence for the important role played by the endothelium in inflammation.
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PMID:Tumour necrosis factor-alpha gene expression and production in human umbilical arterial endothelial cells. 1073 82

Tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) plays an important role in myocardial damage in acute myocardial infarction (AMI). It has recently been discovered that TNF-alpha-converting enzyme (TACE) cleaves precursor TNF-alpha into its mature form. However, it remains unknown whether TNF-alpha expression is related to TACE expression in circulating leucocytes in AMI. Blood samples were obtained from 37 patients with AMI within 24 h of onset and eight healthy controls. Plasma TNF-alpha levels were measured by ELISA. Total mRNA was then extracted from circulating leucocytes, and the expression levels of TACE and TNF-alpha mRNAs were determined by reverse transcriptase-PCR. Plasma TNF-alpha levels were significantly higher in patients with Killip's classes III and IV AMIs (17.1+/-5.0 pg/ml, n =11) than in those with Killip's classes I and II AMIs (13.7+/-4.2 pg/ml, n =26), or controls (13.0+/-1.7 pg/ml, n =8) ( P <0.05). There was a significant increase in expression (arbitrary units) of TACE and TNF-alpha mRNAs in circulating leucocytes obtained from patients with Killip's classes I and II AMIs [TACE/glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), 2.770+/-0.303; TNF-alpha/GAPDH, 2.123+/-0.475] compared with controls (TACE/GAPDH, 1.498+/-0.209; TNF-alpha/GAPDH, 1.283+/-0.274) ( P <0.01). This increase was even greater in patients with Killip's classes III and IV AMIs (TACE/GAPDH, 3.086+/-0.354; TNF-alpha/GAPDH, 2.808+/-0.422) ( P <0.01). Moreover, there was a significant positive relationship between these mRNA expression levels ( r =0.60, P <0.01). The TACE-TNF-alpha system in circulating leucocytes is stimulated and may have a negative impact on clinical outcome in AMI.
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PMID:Increased mRNA expression of tumour necrosis factor-alpha and its converting enzyme in circulating leucocytes of patients with acute myocardial infarction. 1260 94

Tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) mRNA from Indian water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) and Indian cattle (Bos indicus) was reverse transcribed and amplified using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The nucleotide sequences of cDNAs were determined after cloning into pGEM-T-Easy vector (Promega, Madison, WI) and compared with reported nucleotide sequences of TNF-alpha cDNA from other species. The nucleotide sequences of TNF-alpha from Indian cattle revealed significantly high similarities at nucleotide (99.2%) and amino acid (100%) levels with those of cattle (Bos taurus; Zebu). The sequences from buffalo had 98.4% nucleotide and 99.1% amino acid similarities with Indian cattle, indicating functional cross-reactivity. One amino acid deletion at position 63 and one substitution (A-->P) at position 64 were observed in buffalo compared with Indian cattle. The amino acid deletion at position 63 was predicted due to differences in pre-mRNA splicing.
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PMID:High nucleotide and amino acid sequence similarities in tumour necrosis factor-alpha amongst Indian buffalo (Bubalus bubalis), Indian cattle (Bos indicus) and other ruminants. 1526 25

Orazipone (OR-1384) and OR-1958 are novel anti-inflammatory sulfhydryl reactive compounds with potential applications in the treatment of chronic obstructive lung disease and colitis. Mast cells are potent immune system cells which can be found in abundant numbers in mucosa of lung and gut. We have studied whether the anti-inflammatory effect of these compounds could be mediated through inhibition of the function of mast cells and compared their effects with the glucocorticoid budesonide. Human mast cell line (HMC-1) cells were activated using a combination of a calcium ionophore and a phorbol ester and the production of cytokines was measured using ELISA assay. Tumour necrosis factor-alpha mRNA levels were assessed using a semiquantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction assay. Histamine release was studied in rat peritoneal mast cells. Orazipone, OR-1958 and budesonide inhibited significantly and dose dependently tumour necrosis factor-alpha production in HMC-1 cells with IC50-values of 20, 10, and 0.25 microM, respectively. Polymerase chain reaction studies showed that OR-1958 attenuated the activation-induced increase of tumour necrosis factor-alpha mRNA in HMC-1 cells. OR-1958 and, to a lesser extent, orazipone inhibited dose dependently compound 48/80-induced histamine release from rat peritoneal mast cells in a reversible manner. In contrast, budesonide did not appreciably affect the histamine release. Both orazipone and OR-1958 inhibit efficiently mast cell functions and therefore could prove useful in the treatment of diseases associated with inappropriate mast cell activation.
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PMID:Novel sulfhydryl-reactive compounds orazipone and OR-1958 inhibit cytokine production and histamine release in rat and human mast cells. 1558 79

Some cutaneous T-cell lymphomas, (CTCLs) clonal T cells are deficient in interferon signaling, making them promising targets for viral oncolysis. We evaluated cytopathic effects of measles virus (MV) in CTCL. CTCL cell lines and infiltrating lymphocytes in CTCL expressed MV receptors CD150 and CD46. In a phase 1 dose escalation trial a total of 16 injections of live MV, Edmonston-Zagreb vaccine strain, were given intratumorally to 5 patients with CTCL. Patients had antimeasles-serum antibodies and were pretreated with interferon-alpha to prevent uncontrolled virus spread. The well-tolerated treatment with MV resulted in clinical responses. Evaluation of biopsies, before and at 11 days after injection, by immunohistochemistry and reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) demonstrated local viral activity with positive staining for MV nucleoprotein (NP), an increase of the interferon gamma (IFN-gamma)/CD4 and IFN-gamma/CD8 mRNA ratios and a reduced CD4/CD8 ratio. All patients demonstrated an increased antimeasles antibody titer after therapy. The data demonstrate that CTCLs are promising targets for an MV-based oncolytic therapy.
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PMID:Oncolytic measles virus in cutaneous T-cell lymphomas mounts antitumor immune responses in vivo and targets interferon-resistant tumor cells. 1596 18

Oncolytic viruses have been tested against many carcinomas of ectodermal and endodermal origin; however, sarcomas, arising from mesoderm, have received relatively little attention. Using 13 human sarcomas representing seven tumor types, we assessed the efficiency of infection, cytolysis, and replication of green fluorescent protein (GFP)-expressing vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) and its oncolytically enhanced mutant VSV-rp30a. Both viruses efficiently infected and killed 12 of 13 sarcomas. VSV-rp30a showed a faster rate of infection and replication. In vitro and in vivo, VSV was selective for sarcomas compared with normal mesoderm. A single intravenous injection of VSV-rp30a selectively infected all subcutaneous human sarcomas tested in mice and arrested the growth of tumors that otherwise grew 11-fold. In contrast to other sarcomas, synovial sarcoma SW982 demonstrated remarkable resistance, even to high titers of virus (multiplicity of infection [MOI] of 100). We found no dysfunction in VSV binding or internalization. SW982 also resisted infection by human cytomegalovirus and Sindbis virus, suggesting a virus resistance mechanism based on an altered antiviral state. Quantitative reverse transcriptase (qRT)-PCR analysis revealed a heightened basal expression of interferon-stimulated genes (ISGs). Pretreatment, but not cotreatment, with interferon attenuators valproate, Jak1 inhibitor, or vaccinia virus B18R protein rendered SW982 highly susceptible, and this correlated with downregulation of ISG expression. Jak1 inhibitor pretreatment also enhanced susceptibility in moderately VSV-resistant liposarcoma and bladder carcinoma. Overall, we find that the potential efficacy of VSV as an oncolytic agent extends to nonhematologic mesodermal tumors and that unusually strong resistance to VSV oncolysis can be overcome with interferon attenuators.
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PMID:Vesicular stomatitis virus has extensive oncolytic activity against human sarcomas: rare resistance is overcome by blocking interferon pathways. 2173 48