Cytokine-activated human mesangial cells generate the neutrophil chemoattractant, interleukin 8.

Human mesangial cells (MC) in culture, when stimulated by interleukin 1 alpha(IL-1 alpha) or tumour necrosis factor (TNF alpha), but not with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), express interleukin 8 (IL-8) mRNA, and both cell associated and extracellular IL-8. Dexamethasone treatment of mesangial cells induced partial inhibition of the release of extracellular IL-8, while cell-associated IL-8 and IL-8 mRNA were not significantly altered. We propose that the mesangial cell has a direct role in the initiation and propagation of inflammatory events within the glomerulus via the generation of the chemotactic cytokine IL-8.