title: IL-2 enhancing factor(s) in B cell supernatants from patients with rheumatoid arthritis or systemic lupus erythematosus.
abstract: Culture supernatants of B cells from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in the active stage enhanced interleukin 2 (IL-2) dependent proliferation of CTLL A/J cells. This activity, designated B cell-derived growth-enhancing factor-2 (BGEF-2), was recovered by gel filtration of a molecular weight between 15,000 and 20,000. BGEF-2 itself did not show IL-2 activity nor IL-1 activity, and BGEF-2 activity was not detected in the following cytokines: Interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha), interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma), tumor necrosis factor (TNF), interleukin 4 (IL-4), interleukin 5 (IL-5) and interleukin 6 (IL-6). Furthermore, BGEF-2 was distinguishable from B cell-derived growth-enhancing factor described in a previous paper [Kang et al. (1987) J. Immunol., 139, 1154-1160]. BGEF-2 was produced by B cells from patients with RA or SLE only when the patients were in the active stage. BGEF-2 enhanced IL-2-dependent growth of peripheral blood T cells from patients with active RA, but did not enhance the growth of T cells from healthy volunteers. These results suggest that BGEF-2 is a B cell-derived lymphokine which plays an important role in the pathogenesis of RA and SLE.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Internal Medicine, Nihon University School of Medicine, Tokyo.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tomura
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mitamura
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takei
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karasaki
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Koyasu
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sawada
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000276:immunology*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism*; D002455:Cell Division; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000494:pharmacology; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007700:Kinetics; D008180:Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic / Q000276:immunology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008875:Middle Aged; D008970:Molecular Weight; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D006133:Growth Substances; D007375:Interleukin-1; D007376:Interleukin-2