title: Kinetics of local tissue and regional lymph node IL-2 and IFN-gamma responses in experimental oral mucosa and skin contact sensitivity in mice.
abstract: Using ELISA, we have quantified the levels of IL-2 and IFN-gamma in the oral mucosa, ear skin and regional and distant lymph nodes in an experimental murine model of contact sensitivity (CS), induced by the hapten oxazolone (OXA). Compared to normal conditions, the levels of IL-2 peaked early (4-6 h) after hapten exposure in the hapten-exposed tissues analysed both during the first hapten exposure (sensitization) and the second (elicitation) phase, thereafter quickly to subside. The oral mucosa displayed maximal 24-fold increase in IL-2 levels after sensitization and 39-fold increase after elicitation. Respective figures for ear skin were x27 and x35 and for regional lymph nodes x8 and x9, respectively. The distant lymph nodes displayed only minor cytokine increases at any time. IFN-gamma-levels did not increase after sensitization with OXA. An increase in IFN-gamma was seen after the second exposure, peaking at 8-24 h, thereafter quickly subsiding. The oral mucosa IFN-gamma increased x14 after elicitation, the ear skin x8 and regional lymph nodes x37. The weight of the four regional lymph nodes increased from 10 to 38 mg, and the total number of cells in these lymph nodes was increased x11, peaking 48 h after the elicitation. We conclude that in CS reactions, tissue levels of IL-2 increased in buccal mucosa, ear skin and in regional lymph nodes after hapten exposure and re-exposure, IFN-gamma appeared only after re-exposure to the hapten. The increased weight of the regional lymph nodes was mainly attributed to cell proliferation. The common ectodermal origin and the similarity of the CS reactions on skin and in buccal mucosa indicate that these tissues share common immunological patterns of Th1 cell reactivity, at least in dealing with haptens like OXA.
authors.affiliation: Research Forum, Ullevaal University Hospital, Oslo, Norway. evaahl@utu.fi
authors.forename: E E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Ahlfors
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Lyberg
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003877:Dermatitis, Contact / Q000276:immunology*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000276:immunology*; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000276:immunology*; D007700:Kinetics; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D009061:Mouth Mucosa / Q000276:immunology*; D009929:Organ Size / Q000276:immunology; D010081:Oxazolone / Q000276:immunology; D012867:Skin / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D007376:Interleukin-2; D010081:Oxazolone; D007371:Interferon-gamma