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Ethanol enhances the IFN‐γ, TGF‐α and IL‐6 secretion in psoriatic co‐cultures
Author(s) -
OCKENFELS H.M.,
KEIMMAAS C.,
FUNK R.,
NUßBAUM G.,
GOOS M.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
british journal of dermatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.304
H-Index - 179
eISSN - 1365-2133
pISSN - 0007-0963
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2133.1996.d01-1073.x
Subject(s) - psoriasis , cytokine , proinflammatory cytokine , secretion , immunology , interleukin 20 , immune system , keratinocyte , medicine , biology , interleukin , endocrinology , in vitro , inflammation , interleukin 5 , biochemistry
Summary Evidence suggests an association between alcohol consumption and psoriasis. This relationship is still undefined, although long‐term alcohol intake influences the immune system. Interactions between T cells and keratinocytes are important for the pathogenesis of psoriasis, by secretion of proinflammatory cytokines and growth factors in psoriatic skin. IL‐2, IL‐6, IL‐8, IFN‐γ and TGF‐α are hallmark cytokines in a psoriatic cytokine network. We investigated whether ethanol influences the secretion of these cytokines using a co‐culture model with keratinocytes from psoriatic patients (n = 9) or from healthy controls (n = 9), with HUT 78 lymphocytes, and determined the cytokine levels with or without ethanol treatment in the culture supernatants. TGF‐α and IFN‐γ levels were elevated in the ethanol‐treated psoriatic co‐cultures, to 150% and 175% respectively, but neither in co‐cultures with keratinocytes derived from healthy control individuals nor in monocultures. Treatment with ethanol elevated slightly the IL‐6 levels in the monocultures from psoriatic and control keratinocytes to 125% but not in HUT 78 monocultures. In the psoriatic co‐cultures, IL‐6 levels were elevated in the culture supernatants to almost 160%, but they were not influenced by ethanol in co‐cultures with control keratinocytes. The cytokine levels of IL‐8 or IL‐2 were not significantly influenced in the psoriatic mono‐ and co‐cultures or in HUT 78 cultures. If ethanol influences the cytokine secretion of psoriatic keratinocytes and HUT 78 lymphocytes in co‐culture conditions, these data suggest that ethanol could also influence the psoriatic cytokine network in vivo, which may explain the aggravation of this disease in alcohol‐consuming psoriatic patients.