ENHANCED CELL-MEDIATED PROTECTION AGAINST FATAL ESCHERICHIA-COLI SEPTICEMIA INDUCED BY TREATMENT WITH RECOMBINANT IL-2 JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY GORONZY, J., WEYAND, C., Quan, J., Fathman, C. G., OHANLEY, P. 1989; 142 (4): 1134-1138

Abstract

Administration of rIL-2 to BALB/c mice induces a rapid, cell-mediated response that is sufficient to protect mice from a lethal i.p. dose of Escherichia coli. Mice were protected from septic death if IL-2 was administered i.p. within 1 h after the bacterial challenge. Optimal protection was provided by treating the lethally challenged mice with rIL-2 at 1 and 5 h or 1, 5, and 10 h after the bacterial challenge and was dose-dependent (greater than or equal to 5.0 x 10(5) U/kg). Furthermore, treatment of mice with anti-IL-2R antibody abolished the protective effect induced by rIL-2 administration. These data suggest that the rIL-2-induced protection against septic death in mice is mediated by a cell type expressing a functional IL-2R. One potentially important therapeutic application of rIL-2 may be to modulate the course of sepsis once the host has been exposed to potentially lethal microbial pathogens.

View details for Web of Science ID A1989T159900011

View details for PubMedID 2644349