title: Making sense of the combined effect of interleukin-2 and interleukin-4 on lymphocytes using a mathematical model.
abstract: The cytokines are the information superhighway of the immune system. They are an important component of the integrated behavior of the system. In order to be able to have a good understanding of the immune system, we must be able to model the effect of cytokines and their combined effect. This work is a step in that direction. We study the combined effect of two cytokines: interleukin-2 (IL-2) and interleukin-4 (IL-4) on some cells of the immune system. Interleukin-2 and interleukin-4 are important growth and differentiation factors for B and T cells. Interleukin-4 antagonizes the effect of interleukin-2 on B cells and some T cells while it synergizes with interleukin-2 on other T cells. We build a mathematical model of the interaction of both cytokines on T and B cells as a building block toward a model of the Th1/Th2 cross-regulation. The response of a given cell to the combination of interleukin-2 and interleukin-4 is shown to involve competing dynamical effects which can lead to either antagonistic or synergistic combined effect.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
authors.forename: B F
authors.initials: BF
authors.lastname: Morel
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Burke
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kalagnanam
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: McCarthy
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Tweardy
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Morel
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000378:metabolism; D002455:Cell Division; D004347:Drug Interactions; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology*; D008433:Mathematics; D008954:Models, Biological; D018123:Receptors, Interleukin / Q000378:metabolism; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000378:metabolism; D019948:Receptors, Interleukin-4
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D007376:Interleukin-2; D018123:Receptors, Interleukin; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D019948:Receptors, Interleukin-4; D015847:Interleukin-4