ANALYSIS OF TRANSFORMING GROWTH-FACTOR-BETA AND OTHER CYTOKINES IN AUTOIMMUNE EXOCRINOPATHY (SJOGRENS-SYNDROME)

Cytokines play a major role in tissue destruction caused by autoimmune dysregulation, In Sjogren's syndrome (SS) patients, salivary glands a re the target organs for autoimmune tissue damage, In the present stud y, reverse trancriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was used to look for cytokine mRNA expressed in SS salivary glands, Focus score w as used to determine the severity of the lesions, Cytokine production in supernatants of the salivary gland cell culture was measured by enz yme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), Immunohistochemical staining w as used to identify the local presence of transforming growth factor b eta (TGF-beta), Interleukin (IL)-2, IL-6, and IL-10 mRNA were expresse d in moderate to severe SS salivary gland lesions, TGF-P mRNA was cons titutively expressed in normal and SS salivary glands, In SS salivary gland cell cultures, IL-6 and IL-10 proteins were produced, TGF-beta p roduction was reduced in high focus score SS glands, Normal and minima lly involved SS salivary gland ductal epithelium and acinar cells were found to produce TGF-beta by immunostaining, In conclusion, an excess production of IL-2, IL-6, and IL-10 and a reduced production of the i mmunosuppressive cytokine, TGF-beta, may be responsible for the progre ssion of the salivary gland lesion in SS, Specific immunotherapy can n ow be designed based on mechanisms to correct this cytokine imbalance and benefit patients with autoimmune diseases, such as SS.