title: Measurement of interleukin 15.
abstract: Interleukin 15 (IL-15) is a small helical cytokine that was first characterized by its ability to stimulate proliferation of the murine T cell line CTLL-2, but is now known to have activity on a variety of cell types. This unit describes two protocols that can be used to measure IL-15 in culture supernatants and serum samples. The first method uses an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) that is specific for human IL-15, although it can also detect simian IL-15. The second method relies on the ability of IL-15 to support proliferation of CTLL-2 cells. The CTLL-2 assay is slightly more sensitive than the ELISA, but it is not specific for IL-15, because CTLL-2 cells also respond to IL-2 and IL-4. The CTLL-2 assay can be used to measure human, simian, or murine IL-15.
authors.affiliation: Immunex Corporation, Seattle, Washington.
authors.forename: Raymond J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Paxton
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D001681:Biological Assay / Q000379:methods*; D002460:Cell Line; D049109:Cell Proliferation; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D019409:Interleukin-15 / Q000032:analysis* / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D019409:Interleukin-15