[The cytokine-inducing activity of the Yersinia pestis "murine" toxin].

In this work the data obtained in the study of cytokinin-inducing activity of Y. pestis "mouse" toxin (MT) are presented. The study revealed that MT induced the synthesis of IL 1, IL 2 and TNF alpha. The most pronounced activity in MT was IL 2 inducing activity having dose-dependent character: the effect increased with the decrease of the dose of the preparation. The maximum level of the synthesis of IL 2 was observed when very low doses of the preparation (0.01 microgram/ml) were used, which was characteristic of superantigens. The presented data suggest that IL 2 plays an essential role in the mechanism of immunopathological reactions stipulated by MT.