title: Identification and characterization of a B cell growth inhibitory factor (BIF) on BCGF-dependent B cell proliferation.
abstract: The culture supernatants of Con A-activated human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBM) contained at least two regulatory factors upon B cell proliferation. One was B cell growth factor (BCGF), which activated antigen-stimulated B cells to proliferation and clonal expansion, and the other was its inhibitory factor, arbitrarily named B cell growth inhibitory factor (BIF). This BIF inhibited the effect of BCGF on anti-mu-stimulated B cells or the monoclonal mature B cell line (CLL-T.H.) obtained from the peripheral blood lymphocytes of B cell-type chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients, which were activated only with BCGF and without adding other proliferating stimuli (e.g., anti-mu). BIF activity was detected in the 24 hr culture supernatants of Con A-activated human PBM in FCS containing medium and also in serum-free RPMI 1640 medium. This substance with BIF activity could not be derived from FCS. Con A-induced BIF (m.w. of 80,000 and an isoelectric point of pH 5.4) was analyzed by Sephadex G-200 gel filtration and chromatofocusing. BIF was stable at pH 2.0 and at 56 degrees C for 30 min. Partially purified BIF had no effect on cell viability and almost no interferon activity (less than 1 IU/ml). BIF with high titer had a slight but significant inhibition on TCGF-dependent T cell growth and on PHA or Con A responses, but the extent of these inhibitions was far less than that of BCGF-dependent B cell growth. Absorption of BIF with Con A blasts made its inhibition on T cell growth even less. On the other hand, BIF activity could not be absorbed with Con A blasts but was almost absorbed with large numbers of CLL-T.H. cells. BIF had almost no inhibitory effect on the proliferation of a mouse fibroblast cell line (NIH 3T3), a mouse myeloma cell line (NS-1), human lymphoid cell lines (MOLT-4, HSB-2, and Daudi), or a human myeloid cell line (K-562). BIF-producing cells were estimated to be T cells and were identified as T8+ T cells. On the other hand, Con A-induced BCGF was demonstrated to be produced predominantly by T4+ T cells. These results show that human B cell proliferation is regulated by interaction between T4+ and T8+ cells via soluble factors, namely BCGF and BIF, respectively.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002448:Cell Adhesion; D002460:Cell Line; D002470:Cell Survival; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003208:Concanavalin A; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D006801:Humans; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007700:Kinetics; D007945:Leukemia, Lymphoid / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000276:immunology / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D051379:Mice; D009000:Monocytes / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D006133:Growth Substances; D008222:Lymphokines; D003208:Concanavalin A; D015847:Interleukin-4