title: Abnormal splenic and thymic IL-4 and TNF-alpha expression in MRL-lpr/lpr mice.
abstract: The MRL-lpr/lpr and MRL-(++) mice were studied for the expression of cytokines in the spleen, lymph node, thymus, kidney and brain through the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The frequencies of IL-4 and TNF-alpha expression in the thymus and spleen were significantly higher in MRL-lpr/lpr mice than in MRL-(++) mice from the age of 17 to 32 weeks. More importantly, IL-4 transcript was demonstrated in the early rather than in the terminal stage of the lupus disease. At the 20th week, MRL-lpr/lpr mice with active disease exhibited higher concentrations of IL-1 alpha, IL-6 and TNF-alpha in serum than MRL-(++) mice. Interestingly, in MRL-lpr/lpr but not MRL-(++) mice, the IL-6 concentration in cultured supernatants of the thymic cells was significantly higher than that of the splenic or lymph node cells. On the other hand, IL-6 and IL-1 beta were expressed in the brain and kidney of MRL-lpr/lpr mice but not of MRL-(++) mice. Cultured MRL-lpr/lpr mesangial cells could also express IL-6 but to a lesser extent. These results suggest that the abnormal splenic and thymic IL-4 and TNF-alpha expression may predispose the development of autoimmune reactions. The expression of IL-1 beta and IL-6 in the brain and kidney may be implicated in the damage of these two organs in MRL-lpr/lpr mice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, Veterans General Hospital-Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: C Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: T H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: S F
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: H S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology; D001483:Base Sequence; D001921:Brain / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D007378:Interleukins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology; D007668:Kidney / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000276:immunology; D008221:Lymphoid Tissue / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009928:Organ Specificity / Q000276:immunology; D013154:Spleen / Q000276:immunology; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000276:immunology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D007378:Interleukins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D015847:Interleukin-4