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Patients with Helicobacter pylori-associated gastritis have an increased release of gastrin. The mechanisms by which H. pylori affects the endocrine cells are unclear. We have used primary cultures containing canine antral G cells to examine the effects of human blood mononuclear cells, purified monocytes and lymphocytes, recombinant cytokines, and NH4Cl on gastrin release. Mononuclear cells and purified monocytes in direct contact with G cells stimulated gastrin release dose dependently. Separating mononuclear cells from G cells by Transwell filters with 0.4-micron pore size still produced a significant increase of gastrin release. Three human recombinant cytokines, interferon-gamma, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and interleukin-2, but not interleukin-6 and interleukin-1 beta, each produced dose-dependent increases of gastrin stimulation. NH4Cl did not stimulate gastrin release. We conclude that mononuclear cells and purified monocytes prepared from human blood, as well as several cytokines, stimulate gastrin release from antral G cells. These factors may play an important role in the pathogenesis of H. pylori-associated hypergastrinemia.

Epstein -Barr virus-induced molecule 1 ligand chemokine (CCL19) is a CC chemokine that chemoattracts both dendritic cells (DC) and T lymphocytes. We evaluated the antitumour efficacy of CCL19 in a murine model of spontaneous bronchoalveolar cell carcinoma. These transgenic mice (CC-10 TAg) express the SV40 large T antigen under the Clara Cell promoter, develop bilateral, multifocal, pulmonary carcinomas and die at 4 months owing to progressive pulmonary tumour burden. To mimic therapy in latestage disease, 3-month-old transgenic mice were treated with recombinant CCL19 (0.5 mg dose À1 ) by intranodal (axillary lymph node region) injection three times per week for 4 weeks. CCL19 treatment led to a marked reduction in tumour burden with extensive mononuclear infiltration of the tumours compared to diluent treated controls. Flow cytometric analyses showed significant increases in CD4 and CD8T cell subsets as well as DC in the lungs of CCL19-treated mice. Lung tissue cytokine profiles showed a shift towards immune stimulatory molecules with a decrease in the immunosuppressive cytokine TGF-b. Our findings show that CCL19 may serve as a potential immune stimulator and provide a strong rationale for the evaluation of CCL19 in cancer immunotherapy.