Liver disease, including hepatitis and cirrhosis, repmodel. Striking increases in the plasma levels of various resent a major cause of morbidity and mortality. In cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor (TNF), in-chronic hepatitis, liver parenchymal cells are destroyed terleukin-2 (IL-2), and IFN-g, were detected before the by host lymphoid cells, especially by activated T cells increase in plasma aminotransferase levels induced by responding to viral antigens. 1 The cellular and molecuCon A injection. TNF levels peaked within 2 hours, lar mechanisms underlying the development of hepatowhereas IFN-g levels peaked at 6 hours after Con A injeccellular destruction have not been studied extensively tion. In contrast to a sharp peak of TNF levels, high IFNg levels were detected for a more prolonged period. because of the lack of availability of suitable animal Passive immunization with anti-IFN-g monoclonal anti-models.
body (MAb) conferred a dose-dependent protectionRecently, a new hepatitis model was developed in against liver injury in this model. This protection was which liver-specific inflammatory lesions are induced observed when anti-IFN-g MAb was administered at by injection of concanavalin A (Con A). 2 Importantly, least 30 minutes before Con A injection but not when the hepatitis could be induced without pretreatment given 1 hour after Con A injection. The protection from with D-galactosamine, 3 which is an absolute requireCon A-induced hepatitis was also induced by adminis-ment for the induction of hepatitis by injection of endotration of rIL-6 before Con A injection. rIL-6 treatment toxin from gram-negative bacteria such as lipopolysacinduced significant albeit incomplete inhibition of IFNcharide (LPS). 4,5 Furthermore, the hepatic injury g and TNF production, whereas this regimen did not affect IL-2 production. Despite striking protective ef-appears to be a consequence of T-cell activation. 2,6 Our fects of rIL-6 or anti-IFN-g MAb, comparable levels of initial study 6 using this model showed that tumor necellular (both T cell and polymorphonuclear cell) infil-crosis factor (TNF) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) function as tration were detected in liver sections from animals un-positive and negative modulators, respectively, for the treated, or treated with either rIL-6 or anti-IFN-g MAb. development of Con A-induced hepatitis. Despite the Moreover, electron microscopic examination showed massive production of interferon gamma (IFN-g) by that infiltrating T cells exhibited a blastoid appearance Con A-stimulated T cells in vitro, the involvement of in all groups. These results indicate that IFN-g plays a this cytokine in the pathogenesis in Con A-induced critical role in the development of Con A-induced acute hepatitis has not been investigated. It is increasingly hepatitis and suggest that IL-6 administration can reguevident that IFN-g produced by T cells after stimula-