Pro-inflammatory cytokine release by peripheral blood mononuclear cells from patients with advanced pancreatic cancer: relationship to acute phase response and survival.

The acute phase protein response (APPR) and peripheral blood mononuclear cell-derived inflammatory cytokine production was assessed in patients with advanced pancreatic cancer and age-matched healthy volunteers. We examined the relationship between the APPR, cytokine production and survival in these patients. Forty-two patients with pancreatic cancer cachexia and twelve age-matched healthy controls were recruited.

The effects of macrophage migratory inhibitory factor on acute-phase protein production in primary human hepatocytes.

Macrophage inhibitory factor (MIF) is a pituitary peptide released during the physiological stress response, a T-cell product secreted during the antigen-specific response and a pro-inflammatory macrophage cytokine secreted after LPS stimulation. It has become apparent that MIF is central to the regulation of the inflammatory response and is implicated in the pathogenesis of a variety of acute and chronic inflammatory conditions. This is, at least in part, due to the apparent counter-regulation of the anti-inflammatory actions of glucocorticoids, including the reversal of glucocorticoid-mediated IL-6 release inhibition.

Eicosapentaenoic acid perturbs signalling via the NFkappaB transcriptional pathway in pancreatic tumour cells.

In addition to various roles in membrane structure and metabolism, polyunsaturated fatty acids have effects on signal transduction and on the regulation of gene expression. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) is an omega-3 fatty acid which is known to induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in pancreatic tumour cells. NFkappaB is a key transcription factor regulating genes involved in the immune response and has been implicated in apoptotic pathways.