Luchetti M M, Sambo P, Majlingová P, Svegliati Baroni S, Peri G, Paroncini P, Introna M, Stoppacciaro A, Mantovani A, Gabrielli A
Istituto di Clinica Medica Generale, Ematologia ed Immunologia Clinica, Univer- sità Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy.
Clin Exp Rheumatol. 2004 Jan-Feb;22(3 Suppl 33):S66-72.
PTX3 is a secreted molecule which consists of a C-terminal domain similar to classical pentraxins (e.g. C-reactive protein) and of an unrelated N-terminal domain. Unlike the classical pentraxins, PTX3 is expressed in response to IL-1beta and TNF-alpha but not to IL-6. The present study was designed to investigate the expression of PTX3 in normal and scleroderma fibroblasts.
Normal and SSc fibroblasts were cultured in the presence and absence of inflammatory cytokines. PTX3 mRNA expression in fibroblasts was evaluated by Northern analysis. PTX3 protein levels in fibroblast culture medium were estimated by ELISA.
Normal fibroblasts were induced to express high levels of P7X3 mRNA by IL-1beta and TNF-alpha but not by other cytokines or growth factors. Scleroderma fibroblasts, unlike normal fibroblasts, constitutively expressed high levels of PTX3 in the absence of deliberate stimulation. The constitutive expression of PTX3 in SSc fibroblasts was not modified by anti-TNF-alpha antibodies or IL-1 receptor antagonist. In contrast, IFN-gamma and TGF-beta inhibited the constitutive but not the stimulated expression of PTX3 in SSc fibroblasts.
PTX3 is a main feature of activated scleroderma fibroblasts.
PTX3是一种分泌分子，由一个与经典五聚体蛋白（如C反应蛋白）相似的C末端结构域和一个不相关的N末端结构域组成。与经典五聚体蛋白不同，PTX3是在白细胞介素-1β（IL-1β）和肿瘤坏死因子-α（TNF-α）刺激下表达，而非白细胞介素-6（IL-6）。本研究旨在调查PTX3在正常和硬皮病成纤维细胞中的表达情况。
正常和系统性硬化症（SSc）成纤维细胞在有或无炎性细胞因子的情况下进行培养。通过Northern分析评估成纤维细胞中PTX3 mRNA的表达。通过酶联免疫吸附测定（ELISA）评估成纤维细胞培养基中PTX3蛋白水平。
正常成纤维细胞在IL-1β和TNF-α刺激下可诱导表达高水平的PTX3 mRNA，而其他细胞因子或生长因子则无此作用。与正常成纤维细胞不同，硬皮病成纤维细胞在未受到特意刺激的情况下组成性地表达高水平的PTX3。SSc成纤维细胞中PTX3的组成性表达不受抗TNF-α抗体或IL-1受体拮抗剂的影响。相反，干扰素-γ（IFN-γ）和转化生长因子-β（TGF-β）可抑制SSc成纤维细胞中PTX3的组成性表达，但不影响其受刺激后的表达。
PTX3是活化的硬皮病成纤维细胞的一个主要特征。
