Abstract
A diminished gamma-interferon (IFN-gamma) production by T cells from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in response to autologous stimulation coincides with a defective regulation of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) transformation and is in part due to monocyte-produced interleukin-1 (IL-1) inhibitor and prostaglandins. Since IL-2 can act directly on unstimulated T-cells to induce IFN-gamma production we have now examined the effect of recombinant IL-2 (rIL-2) on purified resting T lymphocytes from RA patients. Treatment with rIL-2 (25 U/ml) of lymphocytes from 15 controls led to an increased production of 72-h supernatant EBV-inhibitory activity (19±4% SE without; 48±7% with rIL-2), but had only minimal or no effect on gamma-interferon production by E-rosetting lymphocytes from 15 patients with active RA. This defect could not be corrected by adding indomethacin to RA cultures.

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