Lymphokine profiles in contact sensitivity induced by dinitrofluorobenzene and tolerance induced by dinitrothiocyanobenzene.

We determined the lymphokines involved in the immune response to epicutaneously applied dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB), a sensitizer, and dinitrothiocyanobenzene (DNTB), a tolerogen. Hapten-dependent T-cell proliferation and production of interleukin-2, interleukin-3 and interleukin-4 by lymph node cells (LNC) in mice painted with these cross-reactive haptens were measured by specific lymphokine assays. Proliferation of LNC in tolerized animals was lower than in sensitized mice. LNC from DNTB-treated mice produced lower amounts of interleukin-2, interleukin-3 and interleukin-4 than cells from DNFB-painted mice. These results may explain hapten-specific tolerance induced by DNTB which results in deficient production of both type 1 T-helper cell (Th1) and type 2 T-helper cell (Th2) lymphokines in response to hapten re-exposure. Deficient interleukin-4 production by cells from tolerized mice was corrected by the addition of exogenous interleukin-2. The suppressor function of adoptively transferred T cells from animals tolerized with dinitrothiocyanobenzene may be related to a shift in the balance of Th1 and Th2 lymphokines in favour of the latter, since recipient T cells might provide the source of interleukin-2 that induces interleukin-4 production by donor T cells.