Interleukin-1 and Fever
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Abstract |
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The controlled nsc in body temperature that occurs during fever is a hallmark of disease activity. In evolutionary terms, fever is an ancient host response to challenge and its conservation suggests that it has survival value It has. however, been difficult to define a clear beneficial role for fever in mammals since attempts to manipulate their body temperature are resisted by powerful homocothermic systems that complicate the design and interpretation of experimentsThe finding that endogenous pyrogen. the host mediator of fever, is probably identical to the endogenous immunostimulant. lymphocyte activating factor (now called interlcukin-1. IL-1), led to the testing of the effects of fever temperature on the action of IL-1 on cells of the immune system. These experiments showed a dramatic sensitivity of immune cell function to small temperature changes characteristic of those occurring during natural fever. The proliferation of T cells and their effect on the production of antibodies by B cells was greatly favoured by small temperature increases. Thus the presence of fever during infection may favour the host by augmenting the immune response mounted against the pathogenic organism However, during an inappropriate or dysrcgulatcd immune responseas might occur in rheumatic diseases where autoimmune processes contribute to pathogencsis fever may well accelerate disease progression
KEY WORDS: Interleukin-1, Fever, Lymphocyte activation