title: An antiproliferative bioassay for interleukin-4.
abstract: Interleukin-4 (IL-4) is currently being used for therapeutic intervention in a wide range of malignant diseases as an antitumour agent. Although bioassays have been developed that measure the proliferative capacity of IL-4, none measure the antiproliferative activity of this molecule. We have developed a simple, sensitive bioassay for human IL-4 based on the ability of this cytokine to inhibit the proliferation of the human lung carcinoma line, CCL-185, an easy to maintain, cytokine independent, cell line. It is rapid, reproducible and sensitive, able to detect 2 pg/ml IL-4. The assay is completely unresponsive to all other interleukins from IL-2 to IL-12, to the colony stimulating factors and transforming growth factor beta and is 100-fold less sensitive to interferon-alpha, tumour necrosis factor-alpha, IL-1 beta and IL-13. The assay can be made completely specific for IL-4 by including specific neutralizing antibodies for IL-4 and is suitable for the estimation of IL-4 in both plasma and serum samples.
authors.affiliation: Division of Immunobiology, National Institute for Biological Standards and Control, Potters Bar, Herts. UK.
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Page
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Topp
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Thorpe
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Mire-Sluis
mesh_terms: D001681:Biological Assay; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006131:Growth Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D006131:Growth Inhibitors; D015847:Interleukin-4