K. Takagi et al., RECOMBINANT HUMAN GROWTH-HORMONE MODULATES TH1 AND TH2 CYTOKINE RESPONSE IN BURNED MICE, Annals of surgery, 228(1), 1998, pp. 106-111
Objective To determine whether growth hormone (GH) influences the prod
uction of type 1 T-helper (Th1) and type 2 T-helper (Th2) cytokine res
ponses after burn. Summary Background Data GH has been shown to influe
nce immunoregulation. The authors previously reported improved mortali
ty in burned mice treated with GH after infection with herpesvirus. Ot
her work has shown that impaired immunity after burn was characterized
by conversion of Th cell populations from Th1 cells to Th2 cells, sug
gesting an increased susceptibility of patients with burns to infectio
n. Methods The production of Th1 and Th2 cytokine from isolated spleni
c lymphocytes taken from GH-treated burned mice was measured. Results
At 1 and 11 days after burn, Th1 cytokine production by splenic lympho
cytes from burned mice treated with GH was greater than in mice receiv
ing saline. In fact, Th1 cytokine production was greater than that of
nonburned mice. In addition, the production of Th2 cytokines was decre
ased, Conclusions Results suggest that the Th1/Th2 response is altered
after burn, and this can be reversed with GH. GH, therefore, may impr
ove resistance to infection in patients with burns.