Interleukin 1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) levels are elevated in the blood of patients with a variety of infectious, immune, or traumatic conditions. To examine whether IL1Ra is produced by liver cells with characteristics resembling an acute-phase protein, human primary hepatocytes isolated from liver biopsies and HepG2 hepatoma cells were stimulated with IL-1beta, IL-6, and TNFalpha. IL-1Ra was present in the supernatants of both cells, with production significantly enhanced by IL-1beta, and by the combination of IL-1beta and IL-6. The term IL-1Ra refers to two different proteins encoded by the same gene, but generated by alternative splicing of two different first exons. One isoform is secreted (17-kD sIL-1Ra), and the other isoform remains in the cytoplasm (18-kD icIL-1Ra). By Western blot analysis, the supernatants of human hepatoma (HepG2) cells contained only sIL-1Ra, whereas the lysates contained a novel smaller molecular mass isoform of 16 kD. RT-PCR and ribonuclease protection assay with RNA from HepG2 cells showed that only sIL-1Ra mRNA was expressed, and confirmed the inducing effect of IL-1beta and IL-6. Transfection studies were performed using constructs containing the promoters of either sIL-1Ra or icIL-1Ra coupled to the luciferase reporter gene. The sIL-1Ra promoter was active in HepG2 cells stimulated by IL-1beta and/or IL-6, whereas the icIL-1Ra promoter was inactive. Mutation of binding sites for transcription factors NF-kappaB and/or C/EBP within the proximal sIL-1Ra promoter led to significant decreases in response to IL-1beta and IL-6 in comparison to the wild-type promoter. Electromobility gel shift assays confirmed the presence of NF-kappaB and C/EBP binding sites within the sIL-1Ra promoter, and indicated a significant increase in the binding activities of nuclear proteins from HepG2 cells treated with IL-1beta and IL-6. In summary, sIL-1Ra, but not icIL-1Ra, is produced by hepatocytes, and is regulated by proinflammatory cytokines as an acute-phase protein. In addition, NF-kappaB and C/EBP family members are likely to play important roles in the full expression of IL-1Ra by hepatocytes during inflammatory conditions.
C Gabay, M F Smith, D Eidlen, W P Arend
The Editorial Board will only consider comments that are deemed relevant and of interest to readers. The Journal will not post data that have not been subjected to peer review; or a comment that is essentially a reiteration of another comment.