Heterogeneous nature of the acute phase response. Differential regulation of human serum amyloid A, C-reactive protein, and other acute phase proteins by cytokines in Hep 3B cells.

Because a number of different cytokines have been reported to regulate the synthesis of human, murine, and rat acute phase proteins (APP), we studied the effect of cytokines on production of several major human APP in a single system, the human hepatoma cell line Hep 3B. Conditioned medium (CM) prepared from human blood monocytes activated with LPS in the presence of dexamethasone led to substantial induction of serum amyloid A (SAA) and C-reactive protein (CRP) synthesis whereas the defined cytokines IL-1 beta, TNF alpha, and medium from a human keratinocyte cell line (COLO-16), containing hepatocyte-stimulating factor activity, failed to induce these two major APP. Induction of SAA and CRP was accompanied by an increase in concentration of their specific mRNA. Size fractionation of CM from activated monocytes by fast protein liquid chromatography indicated that SAA- and CRP-inducing activity eluted as a single peak with a Mr of approximately 18 kDa. alpha 1-Antitrypsin, which also failed to respond to IL-1 beta or TNF alpha, was induced by both CM and medium from COLO-16 cells. The induction of AT by CM was accompanied by an increase in specific mRNA. Induction of ceruloplasmin and alpha 1-antichymotrypsin and decrease in the synthesis of albumin was achieved by both CM and IL-1 beta. Ceruloplasmin and albumin responded in a comparable fashion to both TNF alpha and medium from COLO-16 cells; the response of ACT to these cytokines was not evaluated. These results indicate that human SAA and CRP are induced in Hep 3B cells by products of activated monocytes but not by IL-1 beta, TNF-alpha, or some hepatocyte-stimulating factor preparations and that a group of heterogeneous mechanisms are involved in the induction of the various human APP.