Kazuto Sato

Experimental allergic orchitis in mice

Experimental allergic orchids was induced in (C57BL/6J × A/J)F1 mice by two injections of syngeneic testicular homogenate emulsified with adjuvants immediately followed by intravenous injection of pertussis vaccine, at a 2 week interval. Histologically, in the initial stage there was occasional focal degeneration and desquamation of both spermatogonia and Sertoli cells within limited parts of the seminiferous tubules, in the peripheral region of the testis. No inflammatory change was present. In some cases, however, inflammatory reaction in the rete testis and focal lymphocytic infiltration in the interstitium were also observed. Subsequently, marked infiltration of lymphocytes, monocytes, and polymorphs were found not only in the testes, but also in rete testis and epididymis. In later stages the inflammatory reaction gradually subsided, but the testes became atrophic due to progression of spermatogenic arrest. Many tubules were lined only with monolayers of Sertoli cells, surrounded by hyperplastic Leydig cells in the interstitium. At 5 months after the 2nd immunization, there was still variable depression of spermatogenesis and hyperplasia of Leydig cells with scattered fibrous scars in the seminiferous tubules, although good regeneration of germ cells appeared in some tubules. Immunological studies revealed that lymphocytes obtained from mice bearing developed orchitis showed a significantly enhanced response in the mixed culture with syngeneic testicular cells, and suggest that cellular immunity plays an important role in the induction of experimental allergic orchitis in mice.

Constitutive production of interleukin 6/B cell stimulatory factor-2 from inflammatory synovium.

Interleukin 6 (IL-6) production from synovial tissues of various diseases was examined. Augmented IL-6 production was found in inflammatory synovium not only in RA but also in other kinds of synovitis, including psoriatic arthritis and Behçets disease. Increased amounts of IL-6-mRNA were detected in rheumatoid synovium using a dot blot hydridization technique. Furthermore, there was a positive correlation between IL-6 production and accumulation of plasma cells in the synovium. These findings suggest that IL-6 plays an important role not only in immune response but also in active inflammation in various kinds of synovitis.

Discordant Interleukin 2 Production in Monozygotic Twins Concordant for Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

We present data from monozygotic twins concordant for SLE. IL-2 production by peripheral blood mononuclear cells from the patients, when they were discordant for SLE activity, were measured employing cellular mixing experiments. Macrophages from active SLE had a suppressive effect on IL-2 production. Furthermore, SLE T cells appeared to have a defect in IL-2 production irrespective of disease activity. These defects might play an important role in the disordered immunoregulation in SLE.