DEFECTIVE PRODUCTION OF INTERLEUKIN-2 IN PATIENTS WITH CHAGAS-DISEASE- PURIFIED IL-2 AUGMENTS IN-VITRO RESPONSE IN PATIENTS WITH CHAGASIC CARDIOMYOPATHY
L. Briceno et W. Mosca, DEFECTIVE PRODUCTION OF INTERLEUKIN-2 IN PATIENTS WITH CHAGAS-DISEASE- PURIFIED IL-2 AUGMENTS IN-VITRO RESPONSE IN PATIENTS WITH CHAGASIC CARDIOMYOPATHY, Memorias do Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, 91(5), 1996, pp. 601-607
The production of interleukin 2 (IL-2) by peripheral blood mononuclear
cells, from patients with different clinical forms of Chagas' disease
and healthy controls, was Evaluated after stimulation with Trypanosom
a cruzi antigen, PPD and PHA. PHA induced higher production of IL-2 in
infected patients than healthy controls. No differences were found be
tween infected groups. With PPD the trend was similar, the only differ
ence was that asymptomatic infected patients (INF) showed higher level
s of IL-2 production than patients with cardiomyopathy (CDM). With T.
cruzi antigen, most patients showed little or no IL-2 production at 24
hr, a peak at 48 hr and an abrupt fall at 72 hr. A similar pattern of
IL-2 production was observed in INF and CDM. To evaluate the physiolo
gic relevance of the deficit in IL-2 production, we studied the effect
of non-mitogenic concentrations of IL-2 in the proliferative response
to specific antigens. The addition of IL-2 only enhanced the prolifer
ative response of CDM patients. These observations suggest that patien
ts suffering Chagas' disease, particularly CDM, have a significant red
uction in the capacity to produce IL-2. These findings could be of imp
ortance in the pathogenesis of Chagas' disease.