title: Normal mouse skin lymphocyte, Langerhans cell, and keratinocyte responses to intradermal injections of interferon-alpha and interferon-gamma.
abstract: To investigate the skin immune responses induced by intradermal injections of interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), normal C3H mice were injected intradermally with murine recombinant interferon-alpha (rIFN-alpha), interferon-gamma (rIFN-gamma), or the combination of rIFN-alpha and rIFN-gamma, three times per week for 2 or 4 weeks. Contralateral sites were similarly injected with placebo (saline). The results showed that after 6 or 12 injections of rIFN-alpha (10,000 IU/per injection), epidermal ATPase+ and Ia+ Langerhans cells (LGs) decreased significantly (p < 0.01 and p < 0.05) but dermal lymphocytic infiltrates, including CD3+ (pan-T cells), L3T4+ (T helper cells), Lyt-2+ (T suppressor/cytotoxic cells), MOMA+ (macrophages and monocytes), and dermal Ia+ cells, increased significantly (p < 0.01) compared with both saline injection sites and untreated skin. In contrast to rIFN-alpha, 6 injections of 10,000 IU rIFN-gamma failed to induce significant changes in either epidermal LGs or dermal lymphocytic infiltrates, except for an increase in dermal MOMA+ cells. High-dose rIFN-gamma injections (50,000 IU) strongly enhanced the expression of Ia antigen in epidermal keratinocytes (KCs), increased dermal lymphocytic infiltrates, and decreased the LGs in a similar pattern to that of rIFN-alpha. Furthermore, rIFN-gamma (50,000 IU) injections induced Ia antigen expression on the KCs in the contralateral saline injection areas, suggesting a systemic effect. Injections of a combination of rIFN-alpha and rIFN-gamma failed to show synergism for induction of skin immune responses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, University of Texas Medical School at Houston 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Tucker
mesh_terms: D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000818:Animals; D002465:Cell Movement / Q000276:immunology; D005260:Female; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007271:Injections, Intradermal; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D007801:Langerhans Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D012867:Skin / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II; D007370:Interferon Type I; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D000251:Adenosine Triphosphatases