| First Author | Afanasyeva M | Year | 2001 |
| Journal | Circulation | Volume | 104 |
| Issue | 25 | Pages | 3145-51 |
| PubMed ID | 11748115 | Mgi Jnum | J:103357 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:3609279 | Doi | 10.1161/hc5001.100629 |
| Citation | Afanasyeva M, et al. (2001) Interleukin-12 receptor/STAT4 signaling is required for the development of autoimmune myocarditis in mice by an interferon-gamma-independent pathway. Circulation 104(25):3145-51 |
| abstractText | BACKGROUND: Interleukin (IL)-12 exerts a potent proinflammatory effect by stimulating T-helper (Th) 1 responses. This effect is believed to be mediated primarily through the activation of STAT4 and subsequent production of interferon (IFN)-gamma. Methods and Results- We examined the role of IL-12 receptor (IL-12R) signaling in the development of murine experimental autoimmune myocarditis (EAM) induced by cardiac myosin immunization. Both IL-12Rbeta1-deficient mice and STAT4-deficient mice were resistant to the induction of myocarditis. Treatment with exogenous IL-12 exacerbated disease. We questioned whether IFN-gamma is required for the disease-promoting activity of IL-12. On the contrary, we found that IFN-gamma suppresses EAM. Lack of IFN-gamma due to either depletion with an antibody or a genetic deficiency exacerbated myocarditis. Spleens from IFN-gamma-deficient mice immunized with cardiac myosin showed increased cellularity; greater numbers of CD3+, CD4+, CD8+, and IL-2-producing cells; and heightened ability to produce cytokines on stimulation in vitro. Treatment of mice with recombinant IFN-gamma suppressed the development of myocarditis. CONCLUSIONS: IL-12/IL-12R/STAT4 signaling promotes the development of EAM. In contrast, IFN-gamma plays a protective role. The disease-limiting effects of IFN-gamma might be explained by its ability to control the expansion of activated T lymphocytes. |
