title: Deficient interleukin 2 activity in MRL/Mp and C57BL/6J mice bearing the lpr gene.
abstract: Spleen cells from MRL-lpr and B6-lpr mice have a marked defect in the ability to produce interleukin 2 (IL-2) in response to concanavalin A stimulation. This defect precedes the onset of clinical illness, increases with age, and eventually becomes virtually absolute. It is not due to cellular suppression of IL-2 production, nor does it reflect the presence of a soluble inhibitor of IL-2 activity. Failure to restore IL-2 production with macrophage-replacing factors, such as interleukin 1 and phorbol myristic acetate, suggests that IL-2 deficiency reflects a primary T cell defect rather than a macrophage defect. MRL-lpr and B6-lpr spleen cells also have an age-dependent reduction in IL-2 response that apparently results from a deficiency of cell surface receptors for IL-2. Congenic MRL-+/+ and B6-+/+ mice, which lack the lpr gene responsible for accelerated autoimmunity and lymphoproliferation, have normal IL-2 activity. These findings suggest that a defect in IL-2 activity may contribute to impaired immunoregulation in mice bearing the lpr gene. The absence of such a defect in MRL-+/+ and B6-+/+ mice further suggests that a single autosomal recessive gene is responsible for IL-2 deficiency.
mesh_terms: D000042:Absorption; D000818:Animals; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000494:pharmacology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000172:deficiency*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D013154:Spleen / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D007376:Interleukin-2; D008222:Lymphokines; D013755:Tetradecanoylphorbol Acetate