title: Augmentation of human natural cell-mediated cytotoxicity by recombinant human interleukin 2.
abstract: Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) demonstrated increased natural cell-mediated cytotoxicity (NCMC) activity after only 5 min of exposure to purified recombinant human IL 2 or interferon (IFN)-gamma. The mechanism of NCMC augmentation by treatment with IL 2 is not entirely dependent on IFN-gamma production because: a) IL 2 was found to augment NCMC activity at levels which did not induce detectable IFN-gamma; b) IL 2 required only 5 min of exposure to PBMC to augment NCMC activity, whereas 3 hr of contact were required to demonstrate detectable IFN-gamma levels; c) the levels of NCMC enhancement by treatment with IL 2 exceeded the amount of NCMC enhancement that could be due to IFN alone; d) anti-recombinant IFN-gamma, which totally eliminated the augmentation of NCMC enhancement by IFN-gamma, only partially reduced the augmentation of NCMC activity by IL 2; and e) combination treatment of PBMC with IL 2 and IFN-gamma resulted in a synergistic enhancement of NCMC. The results strongly support the conclusion that augmentation of NCMC by IL 2 and IFN-gamma involve overlapping mechanisms.
mesh_terms: D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D004306:Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic; D004357:Drug Synergism; D006801:Humans; D007369:Interferon Inducers / Q000494:pharmacology; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000276:immunology; D007372:Interferons / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000502:physiology*; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D009500:Neutralization Tests
chemical_list: D007369:Interferon Inducers; D007376:Interleukin-2; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D007372:Interferons