부산대학교 도서관

Autoimmune diseases are often treated by glucocorticoids and immunosuppressive drugs that could increase the risk for infection, which in turn deteriorate disease and cause mortality. Low-dose IL-2 (Ld-IL2) therapy emerges as a new treatment for a wide range of autoimmune diseases. To examine its influence on infection, we retrospectively studied 665 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) including about one third receiving Ld-IL2 therapy, where Ld-IL2 therapy was found beneficial in reducing the incidence of infections. In line with this clinical observation, Ld-IL2 treatment accelerated viral clearance in mice infected with influenza A virus or lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV). Noticeably, despite enhancing anti-viral immunity in LCMV infection, Ld-IL2 treatment exacerbated CD8+ T cell-mediated immunopathology. In summary, Ld-IL2 therapy reduced the risk of infections in SLE patients and enhanced the control of viral infection, but caution should be taken to avoid the potential risk of CD8+ T cell-mediated immunopathology in severe infections. Author summary: Opportunistic infections cause disease exaggeration in patients with autoimmune diseases, representing a leading cause of mortality. Corticosteroids and immunosuppressive therapies often increase the risk of infections. Low-dose IL-2 therapy emerged as a promising new therapy to treat a wide range of inflammatory and autoimmune disorders, but the effect of this therapy to infections has not been systemically evaluated. In this retrospective study, Low-dose IL-2 therapy was found to be associated with the reduced incidence of infection in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. In mouse models of influenza A and lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) infection, Low-dose IL-2 treatment enhanced the effector function of CD8+ T cells and accelerated viral clearance but exacerbated CD8+ T cell-mediated immunopathology in acute LCMV infection. Our findings show that Low-dose IL-2 therapy might particularly benefit autoimmune disease patients with increased risk of infection due to compromised immunity, such as reduced CD8+ T cell function, but caution should be taken to avoid the potential risk of CD8+ T cell-mediated immunopathology in severe infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]