title: Intradermal recombinant interleukin 2 enhances peripheral blood T-cell responses to mitogen and antigens in patients with lepromatous leprosy.
abstract: Thirty-one patients with lepromatous leprosy received recombinant interleukin 2 (IL-2) intradermally in doses ranging from 10 to 30 micrograms. Before injection and at time intervals of 2-21 days thereafter, samples of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were obtained. Single or multiple injections (1-3) of IL-2 did not modify the total number of circulating lymphocytes or the number of T cells and the CD4/CD8 T-cell ratio. However, IL-2 had a pronounced influence on the [3H]thymidine incorporation in response to various stimuli 4-8 days after intradermal IL-2. Stimulation indices of three- to sevenfold above pre-IL-2 levels were observed with the polyclonal activator phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) and enhanced thymidine incorporation occurred in the presence of antigens to which the patients were already sensitized, such as purified protein derivative and BCG. IL-2 had no effect on the unresponsive state of lepromatous leprosy patient T cells to the antigens of Mycobacterium leprae.
authors.affiliation: Armauer Hansen Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Converse
authors.forename: T H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Ottenhoff
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Work Teklemariam
authors.forename: G E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Hancock
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dietz
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Becx-Bleumink
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Wondimu
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kiessling
authors.forename: Z A
authors.initials: ZA
authors.lastname: Cohn
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kaplan
mesh_terms: D000279:Administration, Cutaneous; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D001500:BCG Vaccine / Q000276:immunology; D002452:Cell Count; D004306:Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015440:Leprosy, Lepromatous / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins / Q000276:immunology; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001500:BCG Vaccine; D007376:Interleukin-2; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins