UNLABELLED Interleukin-12 (IL-12) and interleukin-18 (IL-18) play an important role as immunomodulatory factors in cancer pathogenesis. THE AIM of the study was analyze changes of serum IL-12 and IL-18 concentrations in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients depending on the progression of cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS Blood samples were taken from 41 patients with oesophageal cancer: 5...

Interleukin 12 (termed IL-12p70 and commonly designated IL-12) is an important immunoregulatory cytokine that is produced mainly by antigen-presenting cells. The expression of IL-12 during infection regulates innate responses and determines the type of adaptive immune responses. IL-12 induces interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) production and triggers CD4(+) T cells to differentiate into type 1 T help...

The injection of 20 ng of mouse interleukin-12 (IL-12) protects mice from a lethal infection with encephalomyocarditis virus. In vitro, an anti-gamma interferon (anti-IFN-gamma) monoclonal antibody but not an anti-IL-12 monoclonal antibody neutralizes the antiviral activity present in the supernatants of splenocytes stimulated with IL-12. Finally, IL-12 fails to protect 129 Sv/Ev IFN-gamma R0/0...

Morbidity in humans infected with Schistosoma mansoni results primarily from the deposition of parasite eggs in portal areas where they induce a granulomatous response. In mice infected with this helminth granuloma formation is a CD4+ T helper (Th) cell-dependent process that is associated with a strong Th2 cytokine response which appears to evolve through a Th0 phase. In this report, we asked ...