ROLE OF LYMPHOCYTES-TH-1 IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF PROTECTIVE IMMUNITY AGAINST MYCOBACTERIUM-LEPRAE - ANALYSIS OF LYMPHOCYTE FUNCTION BY POLYMERASE CHAIN-REACTION DETECTION OF CYTOKINE MESSENGER-RNA

The patterns of lymphokine mRNA expression during the development of protective immunity to Mycobacterium leprae after intradermal vaccination of mice with killed M. leprae were studied. Using a polymerase chain reaction-based technique for detecting mRNA expression in small numbers of cells, we observed changes in the mRNA expression of a number of cytokine genes in the lymph nodes draining the site of vaccination. In particular, IL-1 (-alpha and -beta), IL-2, TNF (-alpha and -beta), and IFN-gamma mRNA were readily detected, whereas IL-3, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-7, and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor mRNA were not detected, or were detectable only at very low levels. This is consistent with the selective activation of Th-1 T(h) cells. The effect of in vitro exposure of these cells to the immunizing Ag was also investigated; again, IL-1, IL-2, TNF, and IFN-gamma mRNA were abundant, but in addition, IL-3, IL-6, and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor mRNA were greatly increased, suggesting an important role in the recall response.