Spontaneous production of interleukin-10 by B lymphocytes and monocytes in systemic lupus erythematosus.
Interleukin-10 (IL-10) production by B lymphocytes has previously been demonstrated for malignant cells and for in vitro activated normal B cells. Spontaneous in vivo production of IL-10 by normal B lymphocytes has only been demonstrated in mice, in which autoreactive Ly 1 + B cells are involved. In the present study, spontaneous expression of the IL-10 gene by peripheral blood mononuclear cells was investigated in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), a human disease involving autoreactive B cells. Of the 47 SLE patients tested by coupled reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, 34 scored positive, contrasting with only 1 positive out of 34 normal subjects (p < 0.001). Spontaneous in vitro production of IL-10 by PBMC, determined using an ELISA assay, was 33 times higher in SLE than in controls (2623 +/- 728 pg/ml vs 79.3 +/- 34.5 pg/ml, respectively) (p < 0.001). The level of production of IL-10 in SLE was unrelated to either clinical or biological markers of disease activity. Among PBMC, monocytes and B lymphocytes both contributed to IL-10 production, whereas T cells did not. IL-10 overproduction in SLE suggests that this Th2-type interleukin plays a role in the production of autoantibodies through pathways involving both paracrine production by monocytes and autocrine IL-10 production by autoreactive B cells.
Llorente
L
L
Department of Immunology and Rheumatology, Instituto Nacional de la Nutricion Salvador Zubirán, Mexico D.F., México.
Richaud-Patin
Y
Y
Wijdenes
J
J
Alcocer-Varela
J
J
Maillot
M C
MC
Durand-Gasselin
I
I
Fourrier
B M
BM
Galanaud
P
P
Emilie
D
D
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D001483:Base Sequence; D004247:DNA; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009000:Monocytes / Q000378:metabolism*
D016753:Interleukin-10; D004247:DNA