title: Comparison of accessory cell functions of endothelial cells and monocytes: IL-2 production by T cells and PFC generation.
abstract: It has been previously shown that endothelial cells (EC) can modulate T-cell responsiveness by mimicking monocyte (AC) function in several different in vitro systems. We now report that EC and AC differ quantitatively in their ability to provide help for IL-2 generation and T-cell induced B-cell differentiation into immunoglobulin secreting cells (ISC). Equal numbers of EC were deficient when compared to AC for promoting ISC generation, but exceeded AC for IL-2 production. Adding optimal numbers of EC drive non-adherent cell cultures to produce more than twice as much IL-2 as adding any number of AC. Furthermore, small numbers of EC were capable of modulating ongoing immune responses when added to cultures containing AC. IL-2 production by PBM was doubled by the addition of enough EC to comprise only 3% of the total culture. EC do not just mimic monocytes in immune responses, but modulate these responses in unique ways.
mesh_terms: D000921:Antibody-Producing Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D000938:Antigen-Presenting Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D004727:Endothelium / Q000276:immunology*; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008934:Mitogens; D009000:Monocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D013205:Staphylococcal Protein A / Q000494:pharmacology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D007376:Interleukin-2; D008934:Mitogens; D013205:Staphylococcal Protein A