Interleukin-2-Modulated Cytokine Secretion in Thermally Injured Patients

Interleukin-2 (IL-2), initially described as a T lymphocyte growth factor [1], also acts as a potent mediator of other immune cells’ function, e.g., natural killer (NK) and B cells [2, 3] and as the regulator of heterogeneous secretory activity of normal human mononuclear phagocytes [4, 5]. IL-2-exposed monocytes augment the secretion of cyclooxygenase-derived metabolites including prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) [6] and increase the production and/or spontaneous secretion of interleukin-1 (IL-1) [7] and tumour necrosis factor α (TNF-α) [8].