We analyzed the influence of heparins (unfractionated heparin, UFH and low molecular weight heparin certoparin) on the generation of IL-1ra, IL-6, IL-10, and IL-12p40 and from leukocyte fractions in vitro. Polymorphonuclear neutrophil leukocytes (PMN) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from 16 different healthy donors were isolated and adjusted to 1 x 10(6) cells/ml supplemented RPMI 1640. Leukocyte fractions were differentially stimulated (PMN with 1 microg and 5 microg LPS, PBMC with 10 ng TSST- 1 or 2 microg ConA) in the presence or absence of heparins (1 U/ml, 2 U/ml, and 4 U/ml) for 24 h at 37 degrees C. Cytokine release was analyzed by ELISA. Certoparin but not UFH led to a dose-dependent increase in IL-6 from non-stimulated PBMC. In contrast, the release of IL-1ra, IL-10, and IL-12p40 was not modulated by heparins in a dose-dependent fashion. Increases in these cytokines occurred only as single incidents at intermediate heparin levels. An influence of the heparins on the apoptosis of PMN (measured as DNA-fragmentation in non-stimulated or LPS-stimulated cell-fractions) was not observed.