title: Effects of interleukin 4 on an antigen-specific IgE response in vitro in murine lymphocytes.
abstract: The present study shows that interleukin 4 (IL4) can exert either stimulatory or inhibitory effects on an antigen-specific IgE response in vitro. Spleen cells from BALB/c mice that had been primed with trinitrophenyl keyhole limpet hemocyanin (TNP-KLH) were cultured with the same antigen for 2 days, washed, transferred to an antigen-free culture medium, and then cultured for 4 days. Anti-TNP IgE antibodies secreted into the medium were determined by an enzyme immunoassay developed in our laboratory. Anti-TNP IgE response was elicited by TNP-KLH in cultures of the spleen cells from mice that had been primed twice with the antigen at an interval of 3 weeks, but not in cells from animals that had received only a single injection of the antigen. When the latter cells were cultured with the antigen in the presence of mouse recombinant IL4, a considerable level of the antigen-specific IgE response was induced. In contrast, the IgE response elicited in the cells of mice that had been primed twice with the antigen was markedly down-regulated by added IL4. These observations suggest a novel function of IL4 in the regulation of IgE antibody responses.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biotechnology, Faculty of Engineering, Okayama University, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ohmori
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006241:Haptens; D006433:Hemocyanins / Q000276:immunology; D007073:Immunoglobulin E / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C / Q000276:immunology; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D006241:Haptens; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; C054401:trinitrophenyl keyhole limpet hemocyanin; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007073:Immunoglobulin E; D006433:Hemocyanins