title: Kinetics of IL-2 and IL-4 mRNA and protein production by graft-infiltrating lymphocytes responsible for rejection after clinical heart transplantation.
abstract: During cardiac rejection we studied the kinetics of IL-2 and IL-4 mRNA and subsequent protein production by in vivo primed graft-infiltrating lymphocytes (GIL), using semiquantitative RT-PCR and ELISA. Following in vitro stimulation with either donor or third-party antigens, mRNA expression of IL-2 and IL-4 were already detectable 1-2 h after stimulation, while their protein production could be measured from 4 h onwards at least until 48 h. At both the mRNA and protein level, we measured a donor-specific signal for IL-2 and for IL-4 production (p = 0.02), while the relative donor-specific IL-2 mRNA level was significantly higher than the relative IL-4 mRNA level (p = 0.002). These observations suggest that after in vitro challenge with donor antigens, GIL obtained from rejecting cardiac allografts predominantly produce IL-2 mRNA and protein.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Rotterdam-Dijkzigt, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Baan
authors.forename: N M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: van Besouw
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Daane
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Balk
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mochtar
authors.forename: H G
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Niesters
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Weimar
mesh_terms: D001706:Biopsy; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000276:immunology*; D016027:Heart Transplantation / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000166:cytology; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D007376:Interleukin-2; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D015847:Interleukin-4