title: Human rheumatoid factor-producing cell induction by 2-mercaptoethanol: immunomodulation by a simple thiol compound.
abstract: Two-mercaptoethanol (2-ME), a simple 2 carbon thiol compound with a wide variety of in vitro and in vivo immunomodulating effects, was evaluated for its usefulness as a molecular probe of human antibody producing cell activation by adding 2-ME to cultures of peripheral blood mononuclear leukocytes from normal human volunteers. Culturing normal human leukocytes with 2-ME induced a significant number of cells producing rheumatoid factor as measured by a hemolytic plaque forming cell (PFC) assay. Dose response studies revealed 5 X 10(-5)M to be the optimum concentration of 2-ME for the induction of rheumatoid factor plaque forming cells (RF-PFC). This concentration of 2-ME also maximally induced PFC making antibodies to sheep red cells coupled to the trinitrophenyl (TNP) hapten demonstrating that 2-ME is a polyclonal inducer of human PFC. The addition of 5 X 10(-5) M 2-ME to cultures containing maximal concentrations of the polyclonal stimulators, pokeweed mitogen and human heat-aggregrated IgG, increased the number of RF-PFC detected in these cultures by approximately 50%, although both lower and higher concentrations of 2-ME suppressed the RF-PFC response. We conclude that 2-ME induces normal human leukocytes to produce rheumatoid factor as part of a polyclonal activation of antibody producing cells. 2-ME also has immunomodulating effects when added to other polyclonal stimulators of antibody producing cells.
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000494:pharmacology; D000328:Adult; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006801:Humans; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D008623:Mercaptoethanol / Q000276:immunology / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009000:Monocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D011043:Pokeweed Mitogens / Q000494:pharmacology; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D007074:Immunoglobulin G; D011043:Pokeweed Mitogens; D008623:Mercaptoethanol; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor