title: Peripheral blood lymphocytes of patients with common variable immunodeficiency (CVI) produce reduced levels of interleukin-4, interleukin-2 and interferon-gamma, but proliferate normally upon activation by mitogens.
abstract: Peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) of 11 patients with CVI produced reduced levels of interleukin-4 (IL-4) upon activation by mitogens as compared with those secreted by PBL of healthy donors. The interleukin-2 (IL-2) and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) production by PBL of a series of 15 patients with CVI was also reduced. Decreased levels of IL-4 or IL-2 and IFN-gamma production were not only observed after activation by phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) at concentrations of 10 and 1 micrograms/ml, but also after activation by concanavalin A (Con A, 10 micrograms/ml). Longitudinal studies indicated that this defective lymphokine production was consistent upon testing periods up to 5 months. No correlation between reduced IL-4, IL-2 or IFN-gamma production was observed. PBL of patients that produced reduced levels of one lymphokine generally secreted normal levels of the other two lymphokines. Despite the reduced synthesis of the T cell growth factors IL-2 and IL-4, the proliferative responses of the PBL of the patients were in the normal range, which is compatible with the finding that IL-2 and IL-4 have synergistic effects on lymphocyte proliferation, particularly when one of these lymphokines is present at suboptimal concentrations. Since IL-2, IL-4 and IFN-gamma can act as B cell growth and differentiation factors, our data suggest that the reduced synthesis of these lymphokines may contribute to the deficient immunoglobulin production in patients with CVI.
authors.affiliation: UNICET, Laboratory for Immunological Research, Dardilly, France.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pastorelli
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Roncarolo
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Touraine
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Peronne
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Tovo
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: de Vries
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000361:Agammaglobulinemia / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008934:Mitogens
chemical_list: D007376:Interleukin-2; D008934:Mitogens; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007371:Interferon-gamma