Cell-mediated immunity: role of IL-3 and IL-6 in the regulation of contact sensitivity reaction.
Delayed type hypersensitivity reaction (DTH) consists of a sequential cascade of steps depending on different types of T cells, as well as mast cells, endothelial cells and macrophages. Recently it has been shown that CD4+ TH1 lymphocytes ("inflammatory type") play a central role in DTH reaction. Activated TH1 cells produce a characteristic pattern of cytokines: IL-2, IL-3, TNF-beta, IFN-gamma. Using the contact sensitivity (CS) reaction on mice as a model system, the role of cytokines in the regulation of DTH is presented, particularly the significance of IL-3 and IL-6. The recent data can be interpreted to show that IL-6 released by activated macrophages (APC cells) in the induction phase of the CS reaction probably stimulate CD8+ T suppressor cells. These in turn inhibit the production of IL-2 and IL-3 by CD4+ TH1 cells followed by a state of unresponsiveness.
Marcinkiewicz
J
J
Department of Immunology, Academy of Medicine, Kraków, Poland.
D000818:Animals; D003877:Dermatitis, Contact / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000502:physiology; D007377:Interleukin-3 / Q000502:physiology*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice
D007377:Interleukin-3; D015850:Interleukin-6