SPONTANEOUS PRODUCTION OF, AND DEFECTIVE RESPONSE TO, INTERLEUKIN-1 BY PERIPHERAL-BLOOD MONONUCLEAR-CELLS FROM PATIENTS WITH SCLERODERMA

  • 1 January 1985
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 59  (3) , 666-672
Abstract
Interleukin-1 (IL-1), a monocyte-derived factor that participates in immune regulation and in the regulation of fibroblast proliferation and collagen deposition, was studied in scleroderma, a disorder of immune regulation where increased collagen deposition is a hallmark. The production of IL-1 by lipopolysaccharide-stimulated monocytes from 18 untreated slceroderma patients was akin to that of their normal matched controls. However, unstimulated monocytes from 6 of the 18 scleroderma patients released IL-1 activity spontaneously into their supernatants. All 6 patients with spontaneous IL-1 release had < 5 yr disease duration. The response to IL-1 by T lymphocytes from patients with scleroderma was low as compared to those from controls. The presence of spontaneous IL-1 production with decreased response to IL-1 in scleroderma may indicate an in vivo pre-activation of monocytes to produce this factor that might have a bearing in the pathogenesis of collagen deposition in scleroderma.