LITHIUM IN-VITRO ENHANCES INTERLEUKIN-2 PRODUCTION BY T-CELLS FROM PATIENTS WITH SYSTEMIC LUPUS-ERYTHEMATOSUS

Cellular immunity is impaired in patients with systemic lupus erythema tosus (SLE). A decreased production of interleukin-2 by T cells isolat ed from blood of patients with SLE was found. The decrease correlated with severity of the disease. It was shown that incubation in vitro of T cells with 5 mM of lithium chloride augmented interleukin-2 product ion. The increase in cultures of T cells from patients with SLE was hi gher that than in healthy individuals. It is belived that lithium incr eases the cytosol inositol triphosphate level and subsequently augment ed impaired itracellular signal transduction in the T cells from patie nts with SLE.