Open AccessTh1 (IL‐2, interferon‐gamma (IFN‐γ)) and Th2 (IL‐10, IL‐4) cytokine production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)
Author(s) -
JeanFrançois Viallard,
JeanLuc Pellegrin,
Valérie Ranchin,
Thierry Schaeverbeke,
J Dehais,
M. LongyBoursier,
J.M. Ragnaud,
B Leng,
Jean-François Moreau
Publication year - 1999
Publication title -
clinical & experimental immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.329
H-Index - 135
eISSN - 1365-2249
pISSN - 0009-9104
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-2249.1999.00766.x
Subject(s) - phytohaemagglutinin , peripheral blood mononuclear cell , cytokine , immunology , interferon gamma , lupus erythematosus , medicine , immune system , endocrinology , biology , antibody , in vitro , biochemistry
We investigated the production of IL‐2, IFN‐γ, IL‐10 and IL‐4 by PBMC from 24 patients with SLE and 10 healthy individuals. Basal and mitogen‐stimulated (lipopolysaccharide and phytohaemagglutinin (LPS + PHA)) cytokine production was determined in a whole blood assay (WBA). Supernatants were collected and assayed with specific ELISAs. Although the IL‐2 and IFN‐γ contents did not differ significantly between patients and controls under both conditions, statistically significant correlations were found between each cytokine and disease activity (SLAM index) after stimulation (respectively, r = 0.501, P = 0.01 and r = 0.631, P = 0.001). PBMC IL‐10 production was significantly higher for patients than controls ( P = 0.05), but no correlation between IL‐10 levels and the SLAM index was obtained. IL‐4 production was not statistically different between SLE patients and controls. For stimulated WBAs, the IL‐10/IL‐2 and IL‐10/IFN‐γ ratios were significantly correlated with disease severity ( P = 0.02; P = 0.001, respectively). Overall, our data suggest that SLE is characterized by an elevated production of IL‐10, reflecting the basal state of activation of the immune system. During exacerbation of SLE, IL‐2 and IFN‐γ are synthesized in larger amounts and may cause the tissue damage observed.