Production and regulation of interleukin-2 in human lymphoblastic leukemias studied with T-cell monoclonal antibodies.
Human leukemias are illnesses of hemopoietic stem cells that go through processes of self-replication and partial differentiation under the control of as yet largely unknown growth and differentiation factors. IL-2 is a powerful factor controlling proliferation of normal T cells. We report that acute lymphoblastic leukemias of T and non-B, non-T phenotypes produce a growth factor after mitogen stimulation. This factor is able to support the proliferation of human and murine IL-2-dependent cytotoxic cells, has a mol wt of 26,000 daltons by gel filtration, an isoelectric point of 6.6, and its biologic activity is inhibited by an anti IL-2 monoclonal antibody. This factor is, therefore, by all parameters studied very similar to IL-2 produced by normal lymphocytes. A recently developed monoclonal antibody, Pan T2, binds to normal T cells, renders T cells responsive to IL-2, and induces the release of IL-2, which in turn provides the second signal for T-cell proliferation. Mononuclear cells from acute lymphoblastic leukemia do not respond to the addition of this monoclonal antibody unless cocultured with irradiated Daudi cells. Since normal T cells do not require Daudi to produce IL-2 and since Daudi cells do not produce IL-2 under any conditions, we conclude that the cell responsible for IL-2 production in acute lymphatic leukemia is a leukemic T cell with an altered mechanism of IL-2 production at the level of the Pan T2 binding site.
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology*; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D001666:Binding Sites, Antibody; D002460:Cell Line; D006801:Humans; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D007945:Leukemia, Lymphoid / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D007376:Interleukin-2; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell