Interleukin-2 and autoimmune disease occurrence and therapy.

Interleukin-2(IL-2), also called T-cell growth factor and primarily produced by antigen-activated T cells, is a kind of lymphoid factor with immunoregulatory effect which can promote T-cell-dependent immune responses. IL-2 was first used as a therapeutic approach to boost immune responses in patients with invasive cancer or advanced HIV disease.The purpose of the review is to refer the mechanism of autoimmune disease caused by IL-2 deletion and the application of IL-2 in curing autoimmune disease.IL-2 signal plays a key role in promoting the development, homeostasis and the function of the regulatory T cells. The deletion of IL-2 in vivo causes T cell-mediated autoimmune diseases. Now it is being considered as a kind of medicine inhibiting immune responses.Further studies with controlled clinical trials will be needed to prove the potential of IL-2 as a therapeutic strategy for autoimmune diseases.The decreased production of IL-2 in patients with autoimmune disease leads to immune defects, such as decreased production of Treg cells, decreased AICD and cytotoxicity. Combination therapy based on IL-2 may prove to be beneficial in curing the immunological disorders.