title: IL-7 supports the generation of cytotoxic T lymphocytes from thymocytes. Multiple lymphokines required for proliferation and cytotoxicity.
abstract: Current data suggest that the combination of IL-2 plus IL-6 or IL-4 supports the generation of a CTL response. In this report, we investigated whether IL-7 alone or in combination with other lymphokines supports the generation of active CTL from murine thymocytes. Added alone, IL-7 produced a modest CTL response, and this response was augmented (more than an additive response) by the addition of either IL-2, IL-6, or IL-4. After culture with IL-7, the removal of CD8+ cells correlated with a marked decrease in killing, whereas removal of the CD4+ population resulted in an enhanced CTL response. IL-7 generated a proliferative response to which the addition of other lymphokines resulted in an additive increase at best. To determine if the CTL response was found with IL-7 was dependent on the presence of endogenous lymphokines, we added blocking mAb and found that anti-IL-2 or anti-IL-6 blocked the level of CTL generated in the presence of IL-7. In contrast, anti-IL-4 was unable to inhibit CTL generation. The effect of the mAb on proliferation was somewhat paradoxical. The addition of anti-IL-2, anti-IL-6, or anti-IL-4 to cultures containing IL-7 all caused a significant decrease in proliferation that was overcome by the addition of the corresponding human lymphokines for IL-2 and IL-6. If thymocytes were fractionated and then cultured in the presence of IL-7, the double negative population gave the greatest proliferative response, the single positive thymocytes gave a response that was approximately 40% less, and the double positive thymocytes did not proliferate. These data indicate that IL-7 supports the induction of a cytotoxic response, however, this appears to require the presence of both IL-2 and IL-6.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bertagnolli
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Herrmann
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / Q000032:analysis; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000494:pharmacology; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000494:pharmacology; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000494:pharmacology; D015851:Interleukin-7 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000166:cytology*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology*
chemical_list: D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D016827:CD8 Antigens; D007376:Interleukin-2; D015850:Interleukin-6; D015851:Interleukin-7; D008222:Lymphokines; D015847:Interleukin-4