Cellular mechanisms of inflammation

The second meeting of the contact group placed under the patronage of the Fonds National de la Recherche ScientiŽque (FNRS, Belgium) and entitled ‘Cellular Mechanisms of In ammation’ held in Yvoir, Belgium, on 11 October 1996. This meeting began with the master lecture by Dr R. Monteiro (INSERM, Paris) on the potential role of the IgA Fc receptors (FcaR) in the catabolism of IgA. This set the stage for communications by Godding et al. and Hoang et al. dealing with the role on interferon gamma on the production of secretory IgA by human bronchial epithelial cells in vitro and the regulation of cytokine production by human mononuclear cells of the lamina propria, respectively. Results from research on the production of cytokines by human chondrocytes (Henrotin et al.) and during human muscular exercise (Croisier et al.) were presented. Courtois et al. described the puriŽcation of a NADH-hypothiocyanite-oxidoreductase in Streptococcus s anguis . Mathy-Hartert et al. documented the protective effect of ceftazidime on human endothelial cells damaged by anoxiareoxgygenation in vitro. Various aspects of neutrophil functions were studied in vitro by Mouithys-Mickalad et al. and in trauma patients by Deby-Dupont et al. We are happy to present the results of these experimental studies in the current issue of Mediators o f In amm ation. This meeting has beneŽ ted from the assistance of the Fonds National de la Recherche ScientiŽque (FNRS, Belgium). We are deeply grateful to all the contributors. Secretory component (SC) production by human bronchial epithelial cells is upregulated by interferon gamma (IFN-c)