title: Enhancement of a delayed hypersensitivity reaction to a contact allergen, by the systemic administration of interleukin-2.
abstract: The immunopharmacological effects of interleukin-2 (IL-2) on the sensitization and effector phases of the delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) reaction were studied using contact sensitivity to the haptenizing agent dinitrochlorobenzene (DNCB). When administered at the time of priming to DNCB, IL-2 had no effect on the subsequent magnitude of the response. Interleukin-2 was, however, able to increase the magnitude of the response when given at the time of secondary challenge; the degree of change was directly related to the dose of IL-2. The proportions of T cells in the draining lymph node and spleen of IL-2-treated animals decreased by approximately one-third, but there was no alteration to the balance between CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. The results suggest that the increase in DTH observed was due to a pharmacological effect rather than to an increase in T-cell number.
authors.affiliation: University of Glasgow Department of Surgery, Royal Infirmary, U.K.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zaloom
authors.forename: L P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Walsh
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: McCulloch
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gallagher
mesh_terms: D000485:Allergens / Q000276:immunology*; D000818:Animals; D004137:Dinitrochlorobenzene; D004306:Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic; D005260:Female; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed / Q000276:immunology*; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000276:immunology*; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000276:immunology; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000485:Allergens; D004137:Dinitrochlorobenzene; D007376:Interleukin-2