Presence of Interleukin 4 or Interleukin 10, but Not Both Cytokines, in Pancreatic Tissue of Two Patients with Recently Diagnosed Diabetes Mellitus Type I

Abstract

Studies in the NOD mouse model suggest that development of diabetes mellitus type I can be prevented and established disease cured by deviation towards a Th2-type response. To obtain insight into whether this approach may be applicable to human disease, we investigated the Thl/Th2 cytokine balance in pancreatic tissue from two patients with diabetes of recent onset (Case 1, accidental death; Case 2, ketoacidosis). Using the polymerase chain reaction to amplify reverse-transcribed cDNA, signals for actin and CD35 confirmed mRNA integrity and the presence of T cells in pancreatic tissue from both patients and from a control. IFN-y cDNA was also amplified from all three tissues. However, IL-4 (but not IL-10) cDNA, was amplified from the pancreas of Case I. Conversely, IL-10 (but not IL-4) cDNA was amplified from the the pancreas of Case 2. The control pancreas yielded specific signals for both IL-4 and IL-10. Our data extend the limited database on Thl and Th2 cytokine expression in human pancreatic tissue from recently diagnosed diabetics. Moreover, together with previous observations, our findings raise the possibility that the lack of both IL-4 and IL-10 may be associated with the development of IDDM in humans

Key Words:

• IDDM type I
• human
• RT-PCR
• Thl/Th2 cytokines
• pancreatic tissue