Presence of interleukin 4 or interleukin 10, but not both cytokines, in pancreatic tissue of two patients with recently diagnosed diabetes mellitus type I

Studies in the NOD mouse model suggest that development of diabetes mellitu s type I can be prevented and established disease cured by deviation toward s a Th2-type response. To obtain insight into whether this approach may be applicable to human disease, we investigated the Th1/Th2 cytokine balance i n pancreatic tissue from two patients with diabetes of recent onset (Case 1 , accidental death; Case 2, ketoacidosis). Using the polymerase chain react ion to amplify reverse-transcribed cDNA, signals for actin and CD3 delta co nfirmed mRNA integrity and the presence of T cells in pancreatic tissue fro m both patients and from a control. IFN-gamma cDNA was also amplified from all three tissues. However, IL-4 (but not IL-10) cDNA, was amplified from t he pancreas of Case I. Conversely, IL-10 (but not IL-4) cDNA was amplified from the the pancreas of Case 2, The control pancreas yielded specific sign als for both IL-4 and IL-10. Our data extend the limited database on Th1 an d Th2 cytokine expression in human pancreatic tissue from recently diagnose d diabetics. Moreover, together with previous observations, our findings ra ise the possibility that the lack of both IL-4 and IL-10 may be associated with the development of IDDM in humans.