|
||
J. Exp. Med.,
Volume 187, Number 4, February 16, 1998 537-546
By
From the Laboratory of Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National
Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892
Cells of the innate immune system secrete cytokines early in immune responses that guide maturing T helper (Th) cells along appropriate lineages. This study investigates the role of cytokine networks, bridging the innate and acquired immune systems, in the pathogenesis of an organ specific autoimmune disease. Experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE), a demyelinating
disease of the central nervous system, is widely used as an animal model for multiple sclerosis.
We demonstrate that interleukin (IL)-12 is essential for the generation of the autoreactive Th1
cells that induce EAE, both in the presence and absence of interferon
. The disease-promoting effects of IL-12 are antagonized by IL-10 produced by an antigen nonspecific CD4+ T cell
which, in turn, is regulated by the endogenous production of IL-12. This unique immunoregulatory circuit appears to play a critical role in controlling Th cell differentiation and provides a
mechanism by which microbial triggers of the innate immune system can modulate autoimmune disease.
This article has been cited by other articles:
| TABLE OF CONTENTS |
|