title: Activation and long-term proliferation of human cord blood T cells with human recombinant interleukin-2.
abstract: We report here the results of in vitro studies that demonstrate that purified human recombinant interleukin-2 (hrIL-2) is a potent stimulant for freshly isolated cord blood lymphocytes of healthy full-term infants. Different culture parameters were studied to define the optimal conditions for eliciting maximal levels of activation. Highest levels of hrIL-2-induced TdR[3H] uptake were recorded on day 7 for cultures containing 100 U hrIL-2/ml. Results of comparative studies demonstrated that the reactivity of cord blood lymphocytes to hrIL-2 was equal to, if not greater than, that of healthy adult lymphocytes. Cord blood cells that had been activated with hrIL-2 could be propagated in long-term (greater than 30 days) cultures as hrIL-2-dependent lines, and these lines could be initiated with a high degree of success. Phenotypic analysis was performed using different monoclonal antibodies and cytofluorometry, and studies characterizing cells of the long-term lines have shown that they consisted of a heterogenous population of T4 helper and T8 cytotoxic/suppressor cells; in some instances, natural killer (NK) cells were also present. Other experiments demonstrated that hrIL-2-activated and hrIL-2-propagated T cells expressed the IL-2 receptor (IL-2R; defined by monoclonal antibody anti-Tac) and the number of IL-2-R-positive cells could be increased two-fold or more by exposing the cells to a phorbol ester. This report provides additional information to support the hypothesis that hrIL-2 not only sustains T cell proliferation (i.e., second signal) but also induces T cell activation (i.e., first signal).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
mesh_terms: D003470:Culture Media; D004306:Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010703:Phorbol Esters / Q000494:pharmacology; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic / Q000187:drug effects; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D007376:Interleukin-2; D010703:Phorbol Esters; D011971:Receptors, Immunologic; D011994:Recombinant Proteins