Production of interleukin 2 (IL-2) and responsiveness to IL-2 of peripheral blood lymphocytes in minimal change nephrotic syndrome.
We investigated the role cell-mediated immunity in minimal change nephrotic syndrome (MCNS) by measuring interleukin 2 (IL-2) production and the responsiveness to IL-2 of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL). PBL from patients with MCNS, who were in the nephrotic stage prior to initiation of prednisolone (PSL) treatment or who were in remission for less than 1 yr, exhibited significantly lower levels of IL-2 production. In contrast, PBL from patients with MCNS, who were in remission for more than 1 yr or who could remit from the PSL regimen, showed normal IL-2 production. IL-2 production by CD4+ cells from patients with MCNS in the nephrotic stage was normal, but that by CD8+ cells was markedly reduced, however returned to normal when the disease was in remission. The responsiveness to exogenous IL-2 of concanavalin A-induced lymphoblasts from patients with MCNS was significantly lower, although the proportion of Tac antigen-positive cells did not differ from that of healthy volunteers. These findings suggest that defective IL-2 production and IL-2 responsiveness of PBL in patients with MCNS contribute to the pathogenesis of MCNS.
Dohi
K
K
First Department of Internal Medicine, Nara Medical University, Kashihara, Japan.
Morita
H
H
Ogawa
S
S
Hirayama
T
T
Yamada
H
H
Ishikawa
H
H
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D003208:Concanavalin A; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009404:Nephrotic Syndrome / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism
D007376:Interleukin-2; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D003208:Concanavalin A; D011239:Prednisolone