title: Interleukin-2 and autoimmune disease occurrence and therapy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Interleukin-2(IL-2), also called T-cell growth factor and primarily produced by antigen-activated T cells, is a kind of lymphoid factor with immunoregulatory effect which can promote T-cell-dependent immune responses. IL-2 was first used as a therapeutic approach to boost immune responses in patients with invasive cancer or advanced HIV disease.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of the review is to refer the mechanism of autoimmune disease caused by IL-2 deletion and the application of IL-2 in curing autoimmune disease.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  IL-2 signal plays a key role in promoting the development, homeostasis and the function of the regulatory T cells. The deletion of IL-2 in vivo causes T cell-mediated autoimmune diseases. Now it is being considered as a kind of medicine inhibiting immune responses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Further studies with controlled clinical trials will be needed to prove the potential of IL-2 as a therapeutic strategy for autoimmune diseases.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The decreased production of IL-2 in patients with autoimmune disease leads to immune defects, such as decreased production of Treg cells, decreased AICD and cytotoxicity. Combination therapy based on IL-2 may prove to be beneficial in curing the immunological disorders.
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science, Henan Normal University, Xinxiang, China.
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Geng
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology / Q000628:therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017710:Lymphocyte Transfusion; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology / Q000637:transplantation
chemical_list: D007376:Interleukin-2