Possible Interaction: Dehydroepiandrosterone and Aldesleukin

“Recent studies of our own … as others have shown that dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), an intermediate compound … synthesis, significantly up-regulates IL-2 production of normal T cells and that administration of exogenous DHEA or IL-2 … a vaccinia construct to mice with murine lupus dramatically reverses their clinical autoimmune diseases.”

“RESULTS DH A de creased the release of IL- 2 an d IL-10 in directly (anti-CD3) and indirectly (PHA)-stimulated T cells from postoperative samples, whereas the release of interferon gamma in PHA-stimulated T cells was not affected.”

“In vitro DHEA has been shown to enhance IL-2 release from T lymphocytes, whereas it inhibits IL-6 secretion.”

“ DHEA appears to possess immunomodulating effects, perhaps by enhancing the secretion of IL-2 from activated T cells as demonstrated in a murine model.”

“Although it is well established that DHEA serves as an intermediate in sex steroid synthesis, recent studies in mice suggest that DHEA may also be a physiologic regulator of IL2 secretion.”

“The enhancing effect of DHEA was also detected at the level of IL2 mRNA, suggesting that DHEA may act as a transcriptional enhancer of the IL2 gene in CD4+ T cells.”

“Furthermore, DHEA significantly increased the Th1 type cytokine ( IL-2 and IFN-α) and decreased the Th2 type cytokine (IL-4 and IL-10) levels in LPS-induced mice or in primary cultured spleen T lymphocytes.”

“ DHEA also significantly reduced the mitogen-induced production of the proinflammatory cytokine interleukin-1 (IL-1) as well as the Th1 cytokines IL-2 and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma).”

“The uninfected mice supplemented with 0.06% DHEA showed a significant (P < 0.05) increase in interleukin-2 (IL-2) and γ-interferon (IFN-γ) production, and hepatic vitamin E levels.”

“We have investigated the ability of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) to alter the production of interleukin-2 (IL-2) and to bind to a specific binding complex in antiCD3 epsilon activated T cells.”