EXPRESSIONS OF CYTOKINE GENES DURING DEVELOPMENT OF AUTOIMMUNE SIALADENITIS IN MRL/LPR MICE

Local cytokine gene expression in vivo was analyzed by direct analysis of RNA obtained from salivary gland tissues of MRL/lpr mice with autoimmune sialadenitis. The expression of cytokine genes were assessed by the reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and by immunohistochemical analysis. The expression of interleukin-1(IL-1)beta and tumor necrosis factor was detected before the onset of inflammatory lesions in the salivary glands of mice of 1 or 2 months of age, and IL-6 mRNA expression was clearly detected at the time of onset of typical autoimmune sialadenitis at 3 months of age in MRL/lpr mice, and was up-regulated with advancing age. These results suggest that the overexpression of these inflammatory cytokine genes is involved in the development and progression of organ-localized autoimmunity in the salivary glands of MRL/lpr mice.