title: Defective interferon-gamma production in ataxia-telangiectasia.
abstract: The in vitro production of interferon-alpha and -gamma (IFN) by peripheral blood mononuclear cells from four patients with ataxia-telangiectasia was compared to that of healthy controls. Normal values of IFN-alpha were obtained in all cases. However, patients with ataxia-telangiectasia showed a great reduction or absence of IFN-gamma production after induction with either staphylococcal enterotoxin B or galactose oxidase. This defect was accompanied by the absence of secretion of another lymphokine, namely, interleukin 2 (IL-2), in one case. Lymphoproliferative response to phytohemagglutinin (PHA) was severely depressed in all patients. Near normal values of T lymphocytes were found, but the ratio of OKT4+/OKT8+ subsets was reduced in most patients, due to a decrease of OKT4+ lymphocytes. Deficiency of IFN-gamma may contribute to the abnormalities of immune functions and immunoregulation observed in ataxia-telangiectasia, and it may represent an additional cause of the high incidence of viral infections and neoplasia in this disease.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000032:analysis; D001260:Ataxia Telangiectasia / Q000276:immunology*; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins / Q000494:pharmacology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000954:Antigens, Surface; D007370:Interferon Type I; D007376:Interleukin-2; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; D007371:Interferon-gamma