title: Production and regulation of interleukin 6 in human B lymphoid cells.
abstract: Human B cell lines were screened for production of interleukin 6 (IL 6) by the B9 hybridoma cell bioassay. Some long-established lines such as RPMI 1788, CESS and recently established early-passage Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-transformed lymphoblastoid lines were constitutive IL 6 producers. Other long-established lymphoblastoid lines such as RPMI 8866 and SKW6.4 and all Burkitt lymphoma lines tested were nonproducers of IL 6. Constitutive production of IL 6 in early passage lines could be enhanced by the phorbol ester phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA) and recombinant (r)IL 4 but not by rIL 1 alpha or rIL 1 beta. Nonproducing EBV-transformed lymphoblastoid cell lines could be induced to IL 6 production by PMA, rIL 1 alpha, IL 1 beta and IL 4. Among the nonproducing lines SKW6.4 was induced to IL 6 production by PMA, rIL 1 alpha, rIL 1 beta and rIL 4, whereas RPMI 8866 was induced only by PMA, to a limited extent by rIL 1 alpha and rIL 1 beta but not at all by rIL 4. There was no induction of IL 6 by any recombinant cytokine in the two Burkitt lymphoma lines but measurable production of IL 6 was induced by PMA in one of them (EB4). Cytokines which were neither enhancers nor inducers of cell lines on their own included rIL 2, rIL 5, interferon (rIFN)-gamma, native purified IFN-alpha, tumor necrosis factor (rTNF)-alpha, rTNF-beta and purified platelet-derived transforming growth factor-beta. rIL 4 synergized with either rIL 1 alpha or rIL 1 beta in the induction of IL 6 in the nonproducing line SKW6.4. Similar effects were also seen in this line with combinations of (a) rIFN-gamma and rIL 4 and (b) IFN-alpha and both rIL 1 alpha and rIL 1 beta. rIL 4, with or without rIL 1, was more effective than rIL 6 in the induction of IgM synthesis in SKW6.4 and the effect was only partially inhibited by anti-IL 6 antiserum at a dose which totally inhibited IL 6-induced IgM production. Normal peripheral blood lymphocyte populations pre-activated by anti-immunoglobulin rosetting exhibited enhanced production of IL 6 in the presence of rIL 4 and PMA but not in the presence of rIL 1, in contrast to the behavior of adherent mononuclear blood cells which showed IL 4-induced down-regulation of IL 6 production.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: MRC Human Genetics Unit, Western General Hospital, Edinburgh, GB.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hutchins
authors.forename: B B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Steel
mesh_terms: D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D002460:Cell Line; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000502:physiology; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000502:physiology; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000502:physiology; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation
chemical_list: D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D007370:Interferon Type I; D007375:Interleukin-1; D015850:Interleukin-6; D007371:Interferon-gamma