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A functional imbalance in cytokine production resulting in dominance of Th1 over Th2 type response has been suggested to play a critical role in the pathogenesis of type 1 diabetes. In this study the cellular responses to pokeweed mitogen and a panel of specific antigens were analysed by measuring the production of IFN-gamma and IL-4 cytokines at the levels of mRNA expression (expression index=antigen/medium) and protein secretion in culture supernatants. Two enterovirus preparates were included due to the suggested significance of these viruses in the aetiology of type 1 diabetes. The study included 22 children with newly-diagnosed type 1 diabetes, 15 children with longer duration of disease and 20 healthy children. Comparisons were made between age- and sex-matched groups. Newly diagnosed diabetic patients had significantly higher IFN-gamma mRNA expression index (p

To study whether MxA protein expression is systemically upregulated during rhinovirus infection, blood specimens were collected from 40 patients with common cold and MxA expression in mononuclear cells analyzed by flow cytometry. None of the patients with a confirmed rhinovirus infection (n = 15) or with an infection of unknown etiology (n = 20) had elevated expression of the MxA protein (median fluorescence intensity, 549 and 582, respectively) when compared to healthy controls (n = 11, median 590). Patients with influenza infections had significantly elevated values (n = 5, median 750), and interferon could be detected only in serum samples from influenza patients. In conclusion, expression of MxA in blood lymphocytes and an apparently systemic type I interferon response is not induced during rhinovirus infection or during most other cases of common cold in young adult patients.

Interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) production as a measure of cellular sensitization was studied by detection of the cytokine in culture supernatant by enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and by measuring cellular mRNA using the reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method. These assays were compared to the standard lymphocyte proliferation assay as a marker of T cell responsiveness to foreign antigens. When blood donors seropositive for herpes simplex virus (HSV) were compared to seronegative donors, all measurements of cellular sensitization separated the groups without overlap. There were significant correlations between the IFN-gamma mRNA titre and the secreted IFN-gamma (r = 0.57, P = 0.03), and the proliferative response and the secreted IFN-gamma (r = 0.78, P = 0.001), as well as between the IFN-gamma mRNA titre and the proliferative response (r = 0.78, P < 0.001). When tetanus toxoid (TT) responses were studied in immunized subjects, a wide range of responsiveness could be seen and correlation between various measurements was poor. However, constant individual levels of the cytokine production were demonstrated. Six people who had received their last TT booster vaccination more than 5 years ago were revaccinated and repeatedly studied. An increase in the levels of produced IFN-gamma could be seen in all subjects and two who lacked a lymphocyte proliferation response developed it after revaccination.