Role of interleukin-2 in pancreatic islet-cell destruction in reovirus type 2-infected DBA/1 suckling mice.

Reovirus type 2 (Reo-2)-infected DBA/1 suckling mice develop insulitis, resulting in a diabetes-like syndrome. In this study, the role of interleukin-2 (IL-2) in the death (destruction) of pancreatic islet cells was examined. The endogenous IL-2 activity of splenic cells in infected mice was greater than that in uninfected mice. Treatment of infected mice with monoclonal antibody against IL-2 prevented the development of insulitis with impaired glucose tolerance, in a dose-dependent manner. These results suggest that IL-2 may participate in pancreatic islet-cell destruction in Reo-2-induced diabetes-like syndrome. Copyright 1999 W.B. Saunders Company Ltd.