Production of interleukinl from peripheral monocytes in patients with Kawasaki disease

Abstract

The production of interleukin 1 (IL 1) in cultured peripheral monocytes from patients with Kawasaki disease was examined by co-mitogenic assay using mouse thymocytes, compared with that from acute febrile diseases. The supernatants of the cells treated with lipopoysaccharide (LPS) at 1-20 hr of incubation (early phase) and 20-72 hr of incubation (late phase) were used as IL 1 specimens. The cells showed the high production of IL 1. The marked production was recognized in the cells not treated with LPS during the late phase when compared with that from healthy adults. This indicated that the cells were in vivo activated and the production of IL 1 was induced. The patients with Kawasaki disease showed the high production of IL 1 at hospital discharge although no symptoms appeared on them. The production of IL 1 alpha and IL 1 beta was determined by using neutralizing antibodies (anti-IL 1 alpha or/and anti-IL 1 beta antibodies) in the supernatants. In the patients with high production of IL 1 the supernatants of the early phase and the late phase revealed the high activity of IL 1 beta and IL 1 alpha, respectively.