Abstract

ISTURIZ, Martín A. et al. Hypothesis: an alternative pathway for the regulation of inflammation. Medicina (B. Aires) [online]. 2004, vol.64, n.3, pp.235-239. ISSN 0025-7680.

Regulation of inflammation is a crucial event since its alteration, such as in sepsis and chronic autoimmune (i.e. rheumatoid arthritis, lupus erythematosus) or infectious diseases (i.e. tuberculosis, leprosy), determines severe tissue damage. Although there is a general consensus that regulation of inflammation results from a balance between proinflammatory and antiinflammatory pathways, we arrived at the conclusion that well known chemoattractants/proinflammatory molecules such as bacterial formyl peptides or immune complexes (IC), could induce, paradoxically, strong antiinflammatory effects. Thus, we demonstrated that N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP) exerted a drastic antiinflammatory effect, inhibiting the secretion of tumor necrosis alpha (TNF-a) induced by lipopolysaccharides, a potent TNF-a inducer. We also determined that in human neutrophils FMLP and IC induced the downregulation of receptors for the Fc portion of IgG (FcgRII and FcgRIIIB). Moreover, FMLP inhibited interferon gamma (IFN-g)-induced FcgRI expression and IC downregulate class II molecules of the major histocompatibility complex on monocytes. Part of these effects were mediated by the release of aspartic-, serin-, or metalloproteases. All these results favor the postulation of a new concept on the regulation of inflammation carried out through an alternative and non conventional pathway, in which a chemoattractant/proinflammatory agent could, under certain circumstances, act as an antiinflammatory molecule.

Keywords : chemoattractants; immune complexes; formyl peptides; FcgRs.

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