Cellular immunocompetence in aortitis syndrome.

Abstract

Cellular immunocompetence was investigated in 17 cases of aortitis syndrome (3 active, 14 inactive stage). Both the active and inactive groups demonstrated significantly lower interleukin-2 (IL-2) production than healthy volunteers. The active aortitis syndrome group produced significantly more interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta) than the inactive group. The proportion of CD11b+ CD8+ cells was significantly lower in the active aortitis syndrome group. Further, the proportions of CD11b- CD8+ cells and CD57+ CD16- cells in the aortitis syndrome patients were significantly higher than the healthy volunteers. These results suggest that there are intrinsic qualitative abnormalities in the T cells that produce IL-2 in aortitis syndrome. Pathogenesis of aortitis syndrome is considered as follows: during the active stage, diminished IL-2 production impairs differentiation and proliferation of suppressor T cells, thus creating abnormalities in the inhibitory functions of immunoregulation and promoting the proliferation of cytotoxic T and natural killer (NK) cells. This presumably initiates inflammation of the aorta and/or artery.