title: Recombinant interleukin 2 enhances spontaneous insulin-dependent diabetes in BB rats.
abstract: Treatment of BB rats with recombinant interleukin 2 (IL2) enhanced the development of spontaneous diabetes in these animals. A dose of 20 micrograms IL 2/kg body weight was administered twice daily for 80 days starting at 42 days of age. The rate of diabetes was doubled after IL 2 administration (53% vs. 23%) and the onset of diabetes was found to be accelerated by a mean of 18 days. Histological analysis showed enhanced inflammation of islets and in addition interstitial pancreatis. It is concluded that IL 2 has a regulatory effect on spontaneous organ-specific autoimmunity.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000276:immunology; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D007376:Interleukin-2; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000187:drug effects; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D010179:Pancreas / Q000473:pathology; D051381:Rats; D011913:Rats, Inbred BB; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000633:toxicity
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D007376:Interleukin-2; D011994:Recombinant Proteins