Effects of in vivo administration of interferon (IFN)-gamma, anti-IFN-gamma, or anti-interleukin-4 monoclonal antibodies in chronic autoimmune graft-versus-host disease.

These studies examined the role of cytokines in chronic autoimmune graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) in B6D2F1 mice injected with lymphoid cells from DBA/2 mice. Anti-interleukin (IL)-4 and anti-interferon (IFN)-gamma mAb, or IFN-gamma, were used in vivo to modulate B cell hyperactivity and disease. Kinetic experiments showed that, 2-3 weeks after induction, GVH mice had 100x elevated serum IgE, while IgG1 and IgG2a were 10x above normal. Early treatment with anti-IL-4 mAb or IFN-gamma decreased serum IgE and IgG1 and had no effect on IgG2a. Anti-IFN-gamma mAb treatment increased serum IgE and IgG1 while reducing IgG2a. This increase in serum immunoglobulins could be correlated with an increased spontaneous secretion of IL-4, IL-5, and IL-6 in spleen cell cultures from anti-IFN-gamma mAb-treated GVH mice. While neither anti-IFN-gamma nor IFN-gamma treatments altered the disease course, anti-IL-4 treatment delayed proteinuria and death in GVH mice. These observations suggest an important role for IL-4 in immune complex-mediated glomerulonephritis in chronic GVHD.