title: Differences in the production of and/or the response to interleukin-2 by T lymphocytes from patients with the various connective tissue diseases.
abstract: We have studied the production of and the response to interleukin-2 (IL-2) by blood T lymphocytes from 83 untreated patients with six connective tissue diseases, each patient with a healthy age/sex matched control. SLE patients had markedly decreased production of IL-2, both when elicited with phytohemagglutinin (PHA) and when promoted by autologous mixed lymphocyte reaction (AMLR). They also had decreased response to IL-2. Conversely, patients with scleroderma had normal production of IL-2 with both stimuli and their lymphocytes responded to IL-2 similarly to, or even better than, controls. Patients with mixed connective tissue disease had decreased production of IL-2 upon PHA stimulation but it was normal in AMLR systems. Response to IL-2 was moderately diminished. Patients with rheumatoid arthritis showed moderately decreased production of Il-2 with both stimuli but a normal response to Il-2. Patients with Sjögren's syndrome had similar, but less marked defects than those of SLE. Patients with dermato-polymyositis showed decreased production of IL-2 in AMLR but normal production of IL-2 in response to PHA as well as normal response to IL-2. The differences found between the various connective tissue diseases support the notion that the T cell dysregulation that results from or leads to "autoimmunity" in them is peculiar to each disease.
mesh_terms: D000042:Absorption; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003240:Connective Tissue Diseases / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D007376:Interleukin-2