title: Effects of combinations of cytokines on murine antigen-specific B lymphocytes.
abstract: Cytokines are among the most important mediators in the immune response. They act on B lymphocytes at various stages along the activation pathway. To study the effects of combinations of cytokines, we have used an antigen-specific single B cell-cloning system devised in this laboratory. We report here that IL-1 can enhance the proliferative response and IgM secretion by B cells induced by IL-6. The results of a similar study demonstrated that IL-1 can also enhance the effects of IL-5 on B cell proliferation and IgM secretion in an additive manner. Kinetic analyses showed that IL-1 had to be present from the beginning of the culture for an optimum cooperative effect, whereas the addition of IL-6 could be delayed up to 2 days without a significant reduction of the response. In contrast, IL-5 had to be added together with IL-1 at the onset of culture to promote an optimum response. The responses elicited by IL-1 plus IL-6, IL-1 plus IL-5, and IL-4 plus IL-5 were almost identical. The addition of further cytokines to these cultures gave no enhancement above the effects observed with the two-cytokine combinations.
authors.affiliation: Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vogel
authors.forename: B L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Pike
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000502:physiology*; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000378:metabolism; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000502:physiology; D015848:Interleukin-5 / Q000502:physiology; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000502:physiology; D007700:Kinetics; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D007375:Interleukin-1; D015848:Interleukin-5; D015850:Interleukin-6; D011994:Recombinant Proteins