Recombinant interleukin-2 limits the replication of Mycobacterium lepraemurium and Mycobacterium bovis BCG in mice.
BALB/c mice were infected with Mycobacterium lepraemurium in the footpad or with Mycobacterium bovis BCG intravenously with 5 x 10(7) bacilli. Recombinant interleukin-2 (IL-2) was injected intraperitoneally as a single dose (20,000 U), as a single course of five injections (400 U each), or as a 6-month course starting 3 days after the M. lepraemurium infection. BCG-infected mice received a single dose (1,000 U) or five daily injections of 100 or 1,000 U each. IL-2 significantly reduced the total bacterial counts in the footpad, lymph nodes, and liver of M. lepraemurium-infected mice (50 to 85%) by 6 months and viable counts in the spleen (30 to 50%) by 60 days after BCG infection. The courses of IL-2 started at 60 days were more effective than those started at 3 days after M. lepraemurium infection (P less than 0.05 to 0.001), and for BCG, 100 U of IL-2 was better than 1,000 U (P less than 0.05 to 0.01). These results indicate that IL-2 limits mycobacterial infections in mice and raise the question of its possible use in humans.
Jeevan
A
A
Division of Immunological Medicine, Clinical Research Centre, Harrow, England.
Asherson
G L
GL
D000818:Animals; D007167:Immunotherapy; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008099:Liver / Q000382:microbiology; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000382:microbiology; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D009164:Mycobacterium Infections / Q000382:microbiology / Q000628:therapy*; D009163:Mycobacterium bovis / Q000254:growth & development; D009167:Mycobacterium lepraemurium / Q000254:growth & development; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000627:therapeutic use
D007376:Interleukin-2; D011994:Recombinant Proteins