Another recovered abstract re: Lyme & Th1

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Arthritis Rheum. 1997 Jan;40(1):69-79. Related Articles, Links

T cell cytokine pattern in the joints of patients with Lyme

arthritis and its regulation by cytokines and anticytokines.

Yin Z, Braun J, Neure L, Wu P, Eggens U, Krause A, Kamradt T, Sieper

J.

Klinikum lin, Free University, Berlin, Germany.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether type 1 helper (Th1) or Th2

cytokines are found in the joints of patients with Lyme arthritis,

and whether the cytokine pattern can be modulated by cytokines or

anticytokines.

METHODS: The cytokine pattern in the joints of 10 patients with Lyme

arthritis was investigated. Expression of interferon-gamma (IFN

gamma), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha), interleukin-4 (IL-

4), and IL-10 was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

(ELISA), after stimulation of synovial fluid mononuclear cells

(SFMC) with Borrelia burgdorferi (Bb) in the supernatant. Expression

of cytokine messenger RNA and protein in synovial membrane (SM) and

nonstimulated SFMC was studied using semiquantitative reverse

transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and immunohistologic

techniques. The effects of recombinant cytokines or neutralizing

anticytokine antibodies on cytokine production in Bb-stimulated SFMC

were investigated by ELISA.

RESULTS: SFMC produced high amounts of IFN gamma and TNF alpha, but

little or no IL-4, upon stimulation with Bb antigen, indicating a

Th1-type cytokine pattern. In SM, IFN gamma was detectable in all

patients, while the other cytokines were less frequently found.

Serial sections of SM revealed that all cytokines were located in

the same area. The Th1 response, especially the production of TNF

alpha, could be down-regulated in vitro by both endogenous and

exogenous IL-10, but not by IL-4 or anti-IL-12.

CONCLUSION: A Th1-type cytokine pattern was found in the joints of

patients with Lyme arthritis. This Th1 response could be down-

regulated by IL-10, suggesting insufficient IL-10 production in vivo.

PMID: 9008602 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]