title: T lymphocytes inhibit the vascular response to injury.
abstract: The proliferation of vascular smooth muscle cells is controlled by specific growth factors and cytokines acting in paracrine networks. Macrophage products such as the platelet-derived growth factor and interleukin 1 promote smooth muscle proliferation and are released in the arterial wall during atherosclerosis and repair processes. T lymphocytes are also present in vascular tissue, but their role in vascular growth control in vivo has been unclear. We now demonstrate that rats in which T lymphocytes have been eliminated by a monoclonal antibody develop larger proliferative arterial lesions after balloon-catheter injury. Larger lesions also develop in athymic rnu/rnu rats that lack T lymphocytes, when compared with rnu/+ littermates with normal T-cell levels. Finally, injection of the lymphokine interferon gamma inhibits smooth muscle proliferation and results in smaller lesions compared with controls injected with buffer alone. These results indicate that T lymphocytes modulate smooth muscle proliferation during vascular repair. We propose that T lymphocytes may play an important, immunologically nonspecific role in tissue repair processes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Chemistry, Gothenburg University, Sweden.
authors.forename: G K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Hansson
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Holm
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Holm
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Fotev
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Hedrich
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fingerle
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D001158:Arteries / Q000276:immunology / Q000293:injuries* / Q000473:pathology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000494:pharmacology; D008212:Lymphocyte Depletion; D008297:Male; D009131:Muscle, Smooth, Vascular / Q000276:immunology / Q000293:injuries* / Q000473:pathology; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D011923:Rats, Nude; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D004247:DNA