title: Diminished proliferative response of con A-blast cells to interleukin 2 in adult rats exposed to ethanol in utero.
abstract: The fetal alcohol syndrome is associated with altered immunity. We attempted to delineate the mechanism of the decline in cell-mediated immunity observed by others by using rats which were exposed to alcohol in utero and tested for immune integrity 3 months after birth. We found that concanavalin A-stimulated T-lymphoblast (Con A T-blast) cells that were obtained from ethanol-exposed rats had significantly diminished proliferative responses to both crude and recombinant interleukin 2 compared to those obtained from normal and nutritional controls. The blunted response of Con A T-blast cells to interleukin 2 may be a biomarker of fetal exposure to alcohol.
authors.affiliation: Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center, Veterans Administration Medical Center, West Los Angeles, CA 90073.
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Norman
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Castle
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Van Zuylen
authors.forename: A N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Taylor
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D063647:Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders / Q000276:immunology*; D007108:Immune Tolerance / Q000187:drug effects; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects*; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D007376:Interleukin-2; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D003208:Concanavalin A