title: Regulation of M-CSF production by cultured human thymic epithelial cells.
abstract: We have studied the regulation of M-CSF production by human thymic epithelial cells (TEC) in a continuing effort to better understand the contribution of TEC to the intrathymic cytokine network. The levels of M-CSF were measured by radioimmunoassay. Five different TEC cultures were studied and we found that all cells examined produced M-CSF constitutively. We also studied the effects of cytokines on the regulation of the M-CSF secretion profile. IL-1, which strongly induces the secretion of a number of cytokines in TEC, was found to up-regulate M-CSF levels. The effects of IL-1 were dose and time dependent suggesting a direct effect on TEC. IFN-gamma is known to up-regulate cell surface antigens, and to modulate the IL-1-induced cytokine response in TEC. IFN-gamma could induce M-CSF by itself, but the effects were less pronounced than those of IL-1. IFN-gamma did not modify the IL-1-induced M-CSF. IL-4, which has been shown to partially modulate the IL-1-induced GM-CSF in TEC, had no effect on constitutive or induced M-CSF levels. These data are discussed in the context of the regulation of myelopoietic growth factor production by thymic stromal cells.
authors.affiliation: DNAX Research Institute, Human Immunology Department, Palo Alto, CA 94304-1104.
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Galy
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Spits
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Hamilton
mesh_terms: D000028:Abortion, Induced; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000096:biosynthesis; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004848:Epithelium / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000494:pharmacology; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000494:pharmacology; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000494:pharmacology; D007700:Kinetics; D016173:Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000954:Antigens, Surface; D016207:Cytokines; D007375:Interleukin-1; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D015847:Interleukin-4; D016173:Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor; D007371:Interferon-gamma