Suppression of interleukin 2 production by sera obtained from hypersensitivity granuloma-bearing mice with defective T cell-mediated immune responses.
Hypersensitivity pulmonary granulomas were able to induce by the intratracheal injection of antigen-conjugated Sepharose 4B beads into immunized mice. The mice with hypersensitivity granulomas showed a lack of T cell-mediated immune responses to antigens both in vivo (delayed type footpad reaction) and in vitro (lymph node cell proliferation) in association with impaired interleukin 2 (IL 2) production by suppressor cells in lymph nodes. However, no immunosuppressive factors were detected in the granuloma lesions. In the present study, we describe that the sera obtained from these mice contain suppressive factor(s) capable of inhibiting IL 2 production by immune lymph node cells. The appearance of serum suppressor factor(s) is correlated well with inhibition of delayed hypersensitivity in such mice. Partial characterization of suppressor factor(s) showed it is absorbed by T cells and may be proteins. The approximate molecular weight of the factor ranged from 12 to 67 kd. These results suggest that the suppressive mechanisms such as the suppressor cells and serum inhibitory factor(s) may be responsible for the impaired IL 2 production and, therefore, for the lack of both in vivo and in vitro expressions of T cell-mediated immune responses to antigens in mice with hypersensitivity granulomas.
Kobayashi
K
K
First Department of Internal Medicine, Showa University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
Allred
C
C
Yoshida
T
T
D000818:Animals; D001685:Biological Factors / Q000097:blood*; D016207:Cytokines; D005260:Female; D006099:Granuloma / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D006968:Hypersensitivity, Delayed / Q000276:immunology; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D007153:Immunologic Deficiency Syndromes / Q000209:etiology*; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C / Q000276:immunology; D012130:Respiratory Hypersensitivity / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000378:metabolism*
D001685:Biological Factors; D016207:Cytokines; D007376:Interleukin-2