title: Is IL-2 regulated by a serum inhibitor?
abstract: Normal murine serum inhibits the proliferation of cloned cytotoxic T lymphocytes driven by pure interleukin 2 (IL-2), indicating that a component of normal murine serum is directly inhibitory to IL-2-dependent proliferation. However, the effect is not specific to such cells, since an IL-2-independent variant cell, and a number of lymphoid tumor cell lines are similarly inhibited. Addition of purified IL-2 does not overcome the inhibition, although its degree is reduced. Fractionation of murine serum showed that there are at least two inhibitory activities, which migrate with globular proteins of molecular weights greater than or equal to 10(6) and 4 X 10(4), respectively, on gel chromatography. Neither of the activities was specific for IL-2-dependent cells. Furthermore, murine IL-2 is stable in murine serum in vitro, although it disappears rapidly from the circulation after intravenous injection. It is therefore unlikely that serum inhibitor of IL-2 is an important immunoregulator in vivo.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001790:Blood Physiological Phenomena; D002460:Cell Line; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D013491:Suppressor Factors, Immunologic / Q000494:pharmacology; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D006023:Glycoproteins; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D007376:Interleukin-2; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D013491:Suppressor Factors, Immunologic; C038588:serum immunosuppressive factor, human; C013256:soluble immune response suppressor