title: Stimulation of EBV-activated human B cells by monocytes and monocyte products. Role of IFN-beta 2/B cell stimulatory factor 2/IL-6.
abstract: EBV infects human B lymphocytes and induces them to proliferate, to produce Ig, and to give rise to immortal cell lines. Although the mechanisms of B cell activation by EBV are largely unknown, the continuous proliferation of EBV-immortalized B cells is dependent, at least in part, upon autocrine growth factors produced by the same EBV-infected B cells. In the present studies we have examined the influence of monocytes on B cell activation by EBV and found that unlike peripheral blood T cells and B cells, monocytes enhance by as much as 30- to 50-fold virus-induced B cell proliferation and Ig production. Upon activation with LPS, monocytes secrete a growth factor activity that promotes both proliferation and Ig secretion in EBV-infected B cells and thus reproduces the effects of monocytes in these cultures. Unlike a number of other factors, rIFN-beta 2/B cell stimulatory factor 2 (BSF-2)/IL-6 stimulates the growth of human B cells activated by EBV in a manner similar to that induced by activated monocyte supernatants. In addition, an antiserum to IFN-beta that recognizes both IFN-beta 1 and IFN-beta 2 completely neutralizes the B cell growth factor activity of activated monocyte supernatants. These findings demonstrate that IFN-beta 2/BSF-2/IL-6 is a growth factor for human B cells activated by EBV and suggest that this molecule is responsible for B cell growth stimulation induced by activated monocyte supernatants. We have examined the possibility that IFN-beta 2/BSF-2/IL-6 might also be responsible for B cell growth stimulation by supernatants of EBV-immortalized B cells and thus may function as an autocrine growth factor. However, IFN-beta 2/BSF-2/IL-6 is not detectable in supernatants of EBV-immortalized B cells by immunoprecipitation. Also, an antiserum to IFN-beta that neutralizes IFN-beta 2/BSF-2/IL-6 fails to neutralize autocrine growth factor activity. This suggests that autocrine growth factors produced by EBV-immortalized B cells are distinct from IFN-beta 2/BSF-2/IL-6. Thus, the continuous proliferation of EBV-immortalized B cells is enhanced by either autocrine or paracrine growth factors. One of the mediators with paracrine growth factor activity is IFN-beta 2/BSF-2/IL-6.
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: T L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Gerrard
authors.forename: N G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Goldman
authors.forename: S E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Pike
mesh_terms: D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D002460:Cell Line; D002472:Cell Transformation, Viral; D002474:Cell-Free System; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000502:physiology; D015850:Interleukin-6; D007378:Interleukins / Q000502:physiology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008262:Macrophage Activation; D009000:Monocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D007136:Immunoglobulins; D007375:Interleukin-1; D015850:Interleukin-6; D007378:Interleukins