title: Biological and molecular evidence for the production of IL-6 by human natural killer cells in culture.
abstract: As several of the biological functions of NK cells are similar to the biological effects of IL-6, we tested for the production of this cytokine by cultured NK cells. Conditioned medium from the NK cells supported the proliferation of an IL-6 dependent human leukemic plasma cell line in dose-dependent fashion and this response was abolished by a neutralizing anti-IL-6 serum. Analysis of the mRNA from the NK cell cultures by RNA blotting demonstrated a specific transcript for IL-6 providing further confirmation that these cells elaborate this factor in culture.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Medicina Interna, Universitå di Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Avanzi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cessano
authors.forename: M F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Brizzi
authors.forename: S C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pegoraro
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Matera
mesh_terms: D015152:Blotting, Northern; D002455:Cell Division; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006801:Humans; D007158:Immunologic Techniques; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D015850:Interleukin-6; D012333:RNA, Messenger