Objective. To determine whether a specific cytokine pattern (type 1 [Th1] or type 2 [Th2]) predominates in Wegener's granulomatosis (WG), by evaluating interferon-␥ (IFN␥) and interleukin-4 (IL-4) expression in different compartments of the body (i.e., biopsied nasal mucosal tissue [NBS], bronchoalveolar lavage [BAL] fluid, and peripheral blood [PB]) and comparing the findings with those in disease and healthy control subjects.Methods. Competitive reverse transcriptasepolymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and enzymelinked immunosorbent assay were used to assess IFN␥ and IL-4 expression in T cell clones (TCC), T cell lines (TCL), and polyclonal CD4؉ and CD8؉ cells derived from NBS, BAL, and PB.Results. Patients with WG and chronic rhinitis were found to share in situ production of messenger RNA (mRNA) specific for IFN␥ (Th1). Only 2 patients with WG expressed IL-4, whereas IL-4 mRNA PCR products were found in inflamed tissues of the disease control patients. The granuloma-derived T cells of WG patients produced only IFN␥, while TCC, TCL, and CD4؉ and CD8؉ T cells from BAL and PB produced mainly IFN␥.Conclusion. Our data indicate that a Th1 cytokine pattern predominates in the granulomatous inflammation in patients with WG.

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