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- Title
Cytokine gene expression in pancreatic islet-infiltrating leukocytes of BB rats: expression of Th1 cytokines correlates with beta-cell destructive insulitis and IDDM.
- Authors
Rabinovitch, Alex; Suarez-Pinzon, Wilma; El-Sheikh, Amr; Sorensen, Ole; Power, Robert F.; Rabinovitch, A; Suarez-Pinzon, W; El-Sheikh, A; Sorensen, O; Power, R F
- Abstract
Cytokines produced by islet-infiltrating mononuclear leukocytes may be involved in islet beta-cell destruction and IDDM. To determine which cytokine(s) might be involved in islet beta-cell destruction, we used a reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction assay to compare levels of cytokine mRNA expression in mononuclear leukocytes freshly isolated from islets of four groups of BB rats aged 60-75 days: diabetes-prone (DP) rats, DP rats protected from diabetes by injection of complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) at age 25 days, acutely diabetic rats, and diabetes-resistant (DR) rats. We found that islet mononuclear leukocyte levels of gamma-interferon (IFN-gamma) mRNA were significantly higher in DP and diabetic rats than in DR rats, whereas CFA-treated DP rats had similar IFN-gamma mRNA levels to DR rats. Also, interleukin (IL)-2 mRNA levels tended to be higher in islet leukocytes from DP and diabetic rats than from DR rats. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha, IL-4, and IL-10 mRNA levels were not significantly different in islet leukocytes from the four groups of rats. These findings suggest that production of T-helper 1 (Th1)-type cytokines, IFN-gamma and IL-2, by islet-infiltrating cells in BB rats is associated with beta-cell destruction and IDDM development.
- Publication
Diabetes, 1996, Vol 45, Issue 6, p749
- ISSN
0012-1797
- Publication type
journal article
- DOI
10.2337/diabetes.45.6.749