Role of IL-5 during primary and secondary immune response to acetylcholine receptor

J Neuroimmunol. 2002 Apr;125(1-2):51-8. doi: 10.1016/s0165-5728(02)00030-9.

Abstract

To analyze the role of the Th2 cytokine interleukin-5 (IL-5) in experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis (EAMG) pathogenesis, we induced clinical EAMG in C57BL/6 and IL-5 gene-knockout (KO) mice in the C57BL/6 background. IL-5 KO mice had a significantly reduced incidence and severity of EAMG. Despite their increased resistance to EAMG, IL-5 KO mice displayed intact secondary antibody and lymphoproliferative responses to acetylcholine receptor (AChR) after immunization with this molecule. However, the relative resistance of IL-5 KO mice was associated with a reduced primary lymphocyte response to AChR, and reduced C3 levels in muscle extracts compared to those in C57BL/6 mice.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adjuvants, Immunologic / genetics
  • Adjuvants, Immunologic / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Autoantibodies / blood
  • Complement C3 / metabolism
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Epitopes / immunology
  • Interferon-gamma / metabolism
  • Interleukin-10 / metabolism
  • Interleukin-5 / genetics*
  • Interleukin-5 / immunology*
  • Interleukin-5 / metabolism
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Muscle, Skeletal / immunology
  • Muscle, Skeletal / metabolism
  • Myasthenia Gravis / genetics*
  • Myasthenia Gravis / immunology*
  • Prognosis
  • Receptors, Cholinergic / immunology*
  • Severity of Illness Index

Substances

  • Adjuvants, Immunologic
  • Autoantibodies
  • Complement C3
  • Epitopes
  • Interleukin-5
  • Receptors, Cholinergic
  • Interleukin-10
  • Interferon-gamma