Cross-Linking Fc Receptors Stimulate Splenic Non-B, Non-T Cells to Secrete Interleukin 4 and Other Lymphokines

• Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS 1990-02, Vol.87 (4), p.1421-1425
• Main Authors: Ben-Sasson, Shlomo Z., Le Gros, Graham, Conrad, Daniel H., Finkelman, Fred D., Paul, William E.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Antibodies; Antibodies - immunology; B lymphocytes; Biological Factors - pharmacology; Cell lines; Cultured cells; Cytokines; Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; DNA Replication; Female; Immunoglobulin D - immunology; Immunoglobulins; Interferon-gamma - pharmacology; Interleukin-2 - pharmacology; Interleukin-3 - pharmacology; Interleukin-4 - biosynthesis; Interleukin-4 - pharmacology; Interleukins; Lymphocyte Activation; Lymphocytes - drug effects; Lymphocytes - immunology; Lymphokines - biosynthesis; Mast cells; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Receptors; Receptors, Fc - immunology; Recombinant Proteins - pharmacology; Spleen - immunology; Spleen cells; T lymphocytes
• ISSN: 0027-8424; 1091-6490
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.87.4.1421

Spleen cell populations depleted of both B and T lymphocytes produce interleukin 4 (IL-4) in response to stimulation with immunoglobulins bound to the surface of culture dishes. In the presence of interleukin 3 (IL-3), plate-bound (PB) IgE and PB-IgG1, IgG2a, and IgG2b are excellent stimulants, whereas PB-IgA and PB-IgM fail to stimulate IL-4 production. In the absence of IL-3, PB-IgE stimulates relatively modest production of IL-4, whereas PB-IgG2a generally does not. The response to PB-IgE is inhibited by soluble IgE; antibody to Fcγ receptor II inhibits the response to PB-IgG2a. Thus, separate receptors mediate these stimulations, and Fc receptor cross-linkage is required for IL-4 production. Depletion of cells expressing asialo-GM1 does not diminish IL-4 production in response to PB immunoglobulins, indicating that natural killer cells are not essential for non-B, non-T cell production of IL-4. In addition to IL-4, non-B, non-T cells produce IL-3, but no detectable interleukin 2 or interferon γ. Non-B, non-T cells may be an important source of lymphokines in a variety of immune responses and may serve to amplify the effects of T cells of the TH2type.