title: Associations of genetics and sampling time with levels of interleukin-2 activity.
abstract: The interleukin-2 (IL-2) assay has become a useful tool for examining the cellular immune response. Because of a lack of avian IL-2-dependent cell lines, the avian IL-2 assay in its present state, however, is not currently as powerful as its mammalian counterpart in effectively evaluating levels of IL-2 activity. The use of an avian IL-2 reference standard, Percoll-enriched populations of lymphoblasts, and sample collection times were examined to optimize the assay for comparing levels of IL-2 activity in a large number of birds. The reference standard was effective in accounting for assay-to-assay variance. Percoll-enriched populations of responding lymphoblasts were more sensitive to IL-2 than nonseparated populations of cultured peripheral blood lymphocytes. Levels of IL-2 activity of cells isolated from the same bird did not change within a 1-week period, although differences did approach significance. In addition, levels of IL-2 activity differed between genetically distinct populations.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Iowa State University, Ames 50011.
authors.forename: K L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Knudtson
authors.forename: S J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Lamont
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D002469:Cell Separation; D002645:Chickens / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D003208:Concanavalin A / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D005838:Genotype; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008433:Mathematics; D011205:Povidone; D012015:Reference Standards; D012822:Silicon Dioxide; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D007376:Interleukin-2; D003208:Concanavalin A; C016039:Percoll; D012822:Silicon Dioxide; D011205:Povidone