Response of resting human peripheral blood natural killer cells to interleukin 2.

• DOI: 10.1084/jem.160.4.1147
• Publication Date: 2004-06-23T21:00:50Z
• Authors: G Trinchieri; M Matsumoto-Kobay...; S C Clark; J Seehra; L London; B Perussia
• Keywords: Lymphokine-activated killer cell

The present study shows that recombinant interleukin 2 (IL-2) purified to homogeneity induces a rapid and potent enhancement of spontaneous cytotoxicity human peripheral blood lymphocytes. cells mediating after 18-h treatment with IL-2 have surface markers natural killer (NK) are generated from the subset containing cytotoxic cells. A parallel production gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) is induced by (rIL-2), NK appear be major producer cells, whereas T unable produce IFN-gamma under these experimental conditions. However, kinetics faster than those production, monoclonal anti-IFN-gamma antibodies do not suppress this effect, making it unlikely produced responsible for enhancement. cell activity rIL-2 precedes any proliferative response lymphocytes, which instead observed in longer-term cultures both