A physiological function for apolipoprotein(a): a natural regulator of the inflammatory response.

Structural similarities between apolipoprotein(a) (apo(a)), the unique apoprotein of lipoprotein(a), and plasminogen, the zymogen of plasmin, can interfere with functions of plasmin (ogen) in vitro. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of apo(a) in inflammation in vivo using apo(a) transgenic mice and to determine if effects are plasminogen-dependent using backgrounds that are either plasminogen-replete or plasminogen-deficient. After administration of peritoneal inflammatory stimuli, thioglycollate, bioimplants or lipopolysaccharide, the number of responding peritoneal neutrophils and macrophages were quantified.

Strain and model dependent differences in inflammatory cell recruitment in mice.

Objective And Design: The objective of this study was to determine genetic differences in inflammation in these distinct inbred mouse strains.

Methods: Peritoneal leukocyte recruitment, matrix metalloproteinases and cytokines were quantified in A/J, 129/svJ, C57BL/6J, using thioglycollate or biomaterial implants as inflammatory stimuli.

Results: In response to thioglycollate, A/J had significant decreases compared to C57BL/6J in both neutrophil (86 %) and macrophage (62 %) recruitment, and 129/svJ had a significant (43 %) decrease compared to C57BL/6J in macrophage recruitment.

Upstream stimulatory factor but not c-Myc enhances transcription of the human polymeric immunoglobulin receptor gene.

Secretory antibodies protect mucosal surfaces from ingested, inhaled and sexually transmitted pathogens. The polymeric immunoglobulin receptor (pIgR) transports antibodies across mucosal epithelia into external secretions. We and others have identified a region of the human polymeric immunoglobulin receptor gene (locus PIGR) that is sufficient for basal transcriptional activity.

Transcriptional regulation of the human polymeric Ig receptor gene: analysis of basal promoter elements.

Secretory Igs provide the first line of adaptive immune defense against ingested, inhaled, and sexually transmitted pathogens at mucosal surfaces. The polymeric Ig receptor regulates transport of dimeric IgA and pentameric IgM into external secretions. The level of expression of polymeric Ig receptor is controlled to a large extent by transcription of the PIGR gene in mucosal epithelial cells.