title: On the relative roles of interleukin-2 and interleukin-10 in the generation of lymphokine-activated killer cell activity.
abstract: Induction of cytokine gene transcription by recombinant human IL-2 (rhIL-2) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from healthy donors was studied by qualitative polymerase chain reaction. In all donors tested, optimal doses of rhIL-2-induced transcription of genes encoding for IL-5, GM-CSF, IFN-gamma, and TNF-alpha whereas transcription of IL-1-alpha, IL-3, IL-4, and IL-6 genes could only be detected in about half of the donors. Moreover, we observed that different doses of rhIL-2 were needed to induce transcription of different cytokine genes. In contrast, transcription of IL-2 and IL-10 genes was only observed in a minority of donors, irrespective of the concentration of rhIL-2 used. Since IL-10 displays a well-characterized inhibitory activity on the synthesis of cytokines possibly involved in the generation of lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells, we asked whether the absence of IL-10 gene transcription plays a role in the induction of LAK cells. Thus, we tested the effects of different doses of rhIL-10 on the rhIL-2-driven generation of LAK activity. Interestingly, rhIL-10 dose-dependently inhibited the production of IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha induced by IL-2, but had no effects on PBMC proliferation and generation of LAK activity. Similarly, purified CD3-/CD16+ lymphocytes, the precursors of LAK effector cells, could be optimally induced by low doses of rhIL-2 to proliferate and generate MHC-unrestricted cytotoxic activity against NK-resistant targets in the presence of rhIL-10. Altogether, our results indicate that rhIL-2 induces transcription of a preferential pattern of cytokine genes, with the IL-10 gene being infrequently transcribed. On the other hand, rhIL-10 shows diverse effects on rhIL-2-triggered PBMC activation, in that it inhibits IFN-gamma and TNF-alpha production but does not affect PBMC proliferation or generation of LAK activity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Spagnoli
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Juretic
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Schultz-Thater
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dellabona
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Filgueira
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hörig
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zuber
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Garotta
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Heberer
mesh_terms: D001483:Base Sequence; D016207:Cytokines / Q000235:genetics; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000235:genetics / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015979:Killer Cells, Lymphokine-Activated / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D007376:Interleukin-2; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D016753:Interleukin-10