Association of interleukin-10 with rejection-sparing effect in septic kidney transplant recipients.
Certain cytokines, particularly gamma-interferon (IFN) and interleukin (IL)-2 associated with TH1 cell function, have been shown to play a role in allograft rejection. One paradigm for long-term allograft acceptance involves TH2 cytokine predominance (IL-4 and IL-10). We describe two renal allograft recipients for whom immunosuppression was discontinued due to serious sepsis and who maintained stable renal function over 2-6 months without immunosuppression. During this time, there were higher levels of both IFN-gamma and IL-10 in the peripheral blood than in stable control kidney transplant recipients on immunosuppression. In one of the patients, levels of IL-10 fell, while those of IFN-gamma remained persistently elevated. This was associated with biopsy-proven rejection. Although peripheral blood cytokine levels may not reflect intragraft events, these data are consistent with an allograft protective role for IL-10 offsetting that of IFN-gamma in both patients off immunosuppression.
Burke
G W
GW
Department of Surgery, Division of Transplantation, University of Miami Medical Center, Florida 33136, USA.
Ciancio
G
G
Cirocco
R
R
Markou
M
M
Coker
D
D
Roth
D
D
Nery
J
J
Esquenazi
V
V
Miller
J
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D006084:Graft Rejection; D006801:Humans; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000502:physiology; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000502:physiology*; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous
D016753:Interleukin-10; D007371:Interferon-gamma