title: Interleukin-2-Deficient mice: effect on cytokines and inflammatory cells in chronic colonic disease.
abstract: Mice deficient in interleukin-2 (IL-2-/-) develop inflammatory bowel disease resembling human ulcerative colitis. After death, macroscopic and microscopic scores were used to determine colonic inflammation. Both scores were significantly increased in the colon of IL-2-/- mice as compared to wild types mice. The level of IL-1beta 24-week-old was increased in IL-2-/- mice produced by the colon as compared with IL-2+/+ controls. However, the concentrations of IL-6 and IL-10 were not changed. The spleen weight of IL-2-/- mice was significantly increased compared with IL-2+/+ controls. We used immunochemical techniques in low-temperature paraffin-embedded spleen of IL-2-/- mice to examine pathological changes of CD4+ T cells, CD8' T cells, and CD11b+ cells. The tissue was successfully stained and was well preserved. The percentage CD4+ T cells was not significantly changed, while the percentage CD8+ T cells was significantly decreased in IL-2-/- mice compared with IL-2+/+ controls. On the other hand, the percentage CD11b+ cells was significantly increased in the spleen of IL-2-/- mice compared with IL-2+/- controls. As well as the marked difference in CD8+ and CD11b+ cells in the spleen, the increased level of IL-1beta in colonic tissue might indicate that cytotoxic T cells as well as macrophages are involved in the development and/or perpetuation of the inflammatory reactions in IL-2-/- mice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: I M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Garrelds
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: van Meeteren
authors.forename: M A C
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Meijssen
authors.forename: F J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Zijlstra
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018791:CD4 Lymphocyte Count; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes; D003092:Colitis / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D003106:Colon / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000473:pathology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000378:metabolism; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000378:metabolism; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000502:physiology; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism; D016177:Macrophage-1 Antigen / Q000032:analysis; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009929:Organ Size; D011506:Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D013154:Spleen / Q000737:chemistry / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D007375:Interleukin-1; D007376:Interleukin-2; D015850:Interleukin-6; D016177:Macrophage-1 Antigen; D011506:Proteins; D016753:Interleukin-10