The highly conserved and archetypical yet atypical cytokine macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) fulfills pleiotropic immune functions in many acute and chronic inflammatory diseases. Recent evidence has emerged from both expression and functional studies to implicate MIF in various aspects of cardiovascular disease. The present review is aimed at providing a synopsis of the involvement...

Ciliary neurotrophic factor was discovered based on its ability to support the survival of ciliary neurons, and is now known to act on a variety of neuronal and glial populations. Two distant relatives of ciliary neurotrophic factor, leukemia inhibitory factor and oncostatin M, mimic ciliary neurotrophic factor with respect to its actions on cells of the nervous system. In contrast to ciliary n...

A homogeneous population of immunologically active lymphocytes was obtained from peritoneal exudates of guinea pigs with delayed hypersensitivity to bovine gamma globulin (BGG). The lymphocytes were cultured with and without BGG for 24 hr, and cell-free supernatant fluids were then assayed simultaneously for their ability to influence two in vitro parameters of macrophage function: migration fr...

background:  new discoveries about the pathophysiology changed the concept that all forms of osteoarthritis are alike; this lead to the delineation of different phenotypes such as age, trauma or obese related forms. we aim to compare soluble mediator profiles in primary knee and posttraumatic wrist osteoarthritis. based on the general faster progression rate of wrist osteoarthritis, we hypothes...

The exogenous delivery of growth factors and cytokines is a potential therapeutic strategy to alleviate the degenerative effects of primary inherited myopathies such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The mdx mouse diaphragm is a model for examining the progressive degeneration of dystrophic muscle. We have delivered leukaemia inhibitory factor to the mdx diaphragm using slow release alginate gels...