title: Monocyte-derived human B-cell growth factor identified as interferon-beta 2 (BSF-2, IL-6).
abstract: Soluble products of either Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-infected B cells or activated monocytes promote the proliferation of EBV-infected B cells and permit their growth at low cell densities. This suggests that growth factors are important for B-cell immortalization by EBV. In this study, a monocyte-derived factor that promotes the growth of EBV-infected b cells was purified and identified as interferon-beta 2 (IFN-beta 2), which is also known as 26-kilodalton protein, B-cell differentiation factor (BSF-2), and interleukin-6 (IL-6). The purified protein has a specific activity of approximately 4 X 10(7) units per milligram of protein in assays of B-cell growth. Thus, IFN-beta 2/BSF-2 is a B-cell growth factor that promotes the proliferation of human B cells infected with EBV.
authors.affiliation: Division of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Food and Drug Administration, Bethesda, MD 20892.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tosato
authors.forename: K B
authors.initials: KB
authors.lastname: Seamon
authors.forename: N D
authors.initials: ND
authors.lastname: Goldman
authors.forename: P B
authors.initials: PB
authors.lastname: Sehgal
authors.forename: L T
authors.initials: LT
authors.lastname: May
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Washington
authors.forename: K D
authors.initials: KD
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Pike
mesh_terms: D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000382:microbiology; D002452:Cell Count; D002455:Cell Division; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay; D015850:Interleukin-6; D007378:Interleukins / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009000:Monocytes / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D015850:Interleukin-6; D007378:Interleukins