title: Demonstration of interleukin-2, interleukin-4 and interleukin-6 in sera from patients with localized scleroderma.
abstract: Localized scleroderma has been reported to be accompanied by immunological abnormalities related to B cells, but little is known about T-cell activation in this disease. In this study, serum levels of interleukin-2 (IL-2), interleukin-4 (IL-4) and interleukin-6 (IL-6), which are known to be released by activated T cells, were determined using a sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 48 patients with localized scleroderma and 20 with systemic sclerosis, and in 20 healthy control subjects. IL-2, IL-4 and IL-6 were detected in serum from patients with localized scleroderma but not in that from healthy controls. The presence of antihistone antibodies correlated significantly with elevated IL-4 and IL-6 levels. Decreased serum levels of IL-2, IL-4 and IL-6 paralleled improvement in cutaneous sclerosis. Frequent detection of these lymphokines in serum from patients with localized scleroderma reflects T-cell activation in this disorder.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ihn
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fujimoto
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kikuchi
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takehara
mesh_terms: D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000097:blood; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006657:Histones / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000097:blood*; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000097:blood*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000097:blood*; D012594:Scleroderma, Localized / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies; D006657:Histones; D007376:Interleukin-2; D015850:Interleukin-6; D015847:Interleukin-4