Organ-specific regulation of interferon-gamma, interleukin-2 and interleukin-2 receptor during murine infection with Trypanosoma cruzi.

We have studied the expression of IFN-gamma, IL-2 and IL-2 receptor (IL-2R) at the mRNA and protein levels in spleen and lymph node cells from Trypanosoma cruzi-infected BALB/c mice. At 21 days post infection (dpi) (peak of parasitaemia), spleen cells stimulated with Con A for 16 h showed a reduced IFN-gamma, IL-2 and IL-2R mRNA production compared with non-infected controls. Lymph node cells obtained at 4, 21 or 60 dpi produced similar amounts of IFN-gamma, IL-2 or IL-2R transcripts after mitogen stimulation as uninfected controls. Spleen cells obtained at 21 dpi showed a lower Con A proliferative response and IL-2R expression compared with non-infected controls, while the proliferation and IL-2R expression of lymph node cells at 21 dpi was unaltered. Supernatants from 48 h Con A-stimulated spleen and lymph node cells from mice at 21 dpi had very low levels of IL-2 but contained significantly higher levels of IFN-gamma compared with the supernatants of cells from non-infected mice. The latter phenomenon correlates with an accelerated rate of IFN-gamma mRNA accumulation.