title: In vitro production of interleukin-2 by lymphocytes in whole blood and isolated culture.
abstract: Interleukin-2 (IL-2) production was examined in mitogen stimulated human lymphocytes. Whole blood unseparated lymphocytes or Ficoll-Hypaque gradient purified lymphocytes were cultured. Lymphocytes in whole blood culture produced significantly greater amounts of IL-2 on a per cell basis than did Ficoll-Hypaque purified lymphocytes. Furthermore, the majority of IL-2 produced by lymphocytes in whole blood culture was shown by freeze-thaw lysis to be intracellularly located, while the majority of IL-2 produced by purified lymphocytes was detected extracellularly. The addition of 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME) resulted in enhanced extracellular production of IL-2 in whole blood and Ficoll-Hypaque cultures. The use of whole blood culture, while not permitting a precise in vitro dissection of the cellular mechanisms governing IL-2 production, may more accurately reflect the mechanisms governing in vivo lymphocyte activation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lyte
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002469:Cell Separation; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003470:Culture Media; D003973:Diatrizoate; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D005362:Ficoll; D006382:Hemadsorption; D006801:Humans; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000097:blood; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D007376:Interleukin-2; D003973:Diatrizoate; D005362:Ficoll