Further characterization of interleukin-2 production by lymphocytes of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus

To further characterize the mechanisms responsible for defective interleukin-2 (IL-2) production in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), we studied the effect of irradiation on the capacity of lymphocytes to produce this lymphokine when stimulated with phytohemagglutinin (PHA), or with a combination of PHA and a phorbol myristic acid ester (PMA). Irradiation increased PHA induced IL-2 production in patients with SLE and normal controls, and reached normal levels in 10 of 16 patients with SLE. This effect was due to inactivation of CD8+ suppressor cells. When PMA was used as a costimulant, maximal enhancement of IL-2 production was observed in both groups, but values in SLE remained significantly lower than in normals. These differences were not overcome by irradiation, raising the possibility that SLE suppressor cells act upon a site proximal to protein kinase C. Our studies have confirmed that active endogenous suppression may be responsible for most of the defective PHA induced IL-2 production in SLE and that this suppression is radiosensitive.