Spontaneous IFN-beta production. A common feature of natural suppressor systems

• Published in: The Journal of immunology (1950) Vol. 141; no. 6; pp. 2043 - 2049
• Main Authors: Cleveland, MG, Lane, RG, Klimpel, GR
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Bethesda, MD Am Assoc Immnol 15.09.1988; American Association of Immunologists
• Subjects: Analysis of the immune response. Humoral and cellular immunity; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Chronic Disease; Colony-Stimulating Factors - pharmacology; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Fundamental immunology; Graft vs Host Disease - metabolism; Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor; Growth Substances - pharmacology; Immunity, Innate - radiation effects; Immunobiology; Interferon Type I - biosynthesis; Interleukin-2 - pharmacology; Lymphocyte Activation; Lymphocyte Culture Test, Mixed; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Organs and cells involved in the immune response; Radiation Chimera; Spleen - cytology; Spleen - transplantation; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory - immunology; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory - metabolism; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory - radiation effects; Cell culture; NS cell; Antibody; Rodentia; Cytokine; Immune regulation; Biological activity; Vertebrata; Immunosuppression; Mammalia; Mouse; Beta interferon; Production
• ISSN: 0022-1767; 1550-6606
• DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.141.6.2043

Natural suppression has been described in several immunologic systems in which splenocytes are not only incapable of generating an immune response, but are also able to non-specifically suppress normal splenocyte reactivity. Natural suppressor cells exist in such transitory immune deficiency states as graft vs host disease, irradiation recovery, and during neonatal development. We have found that when splenocytes from each of these three systems were placed in culture, IFN was produced spontaneously without stimulus. This spontaneous IFN production was augmented by the addition of IL-2 or granulocyte-macrophage-CSF to cell cultures. However, these lymphokines induced little or no IFN from normal splenocytes. This unusual IFN production is especially interesting since all samples have been typed to be IFN-beta. Additionally, greater IFN-beta was produced by these spleen cells during active suppression of the MLR of normal spleen cells. In fact, antibody to IFN-beta was shown to partially reverse the natural suppression mediated by graft vs host disease splenocytes in the MLR. Thus, IFN-beta production correlates extremely well with natural suppressor states. As mice begin to recover normal immune responses in all three systems, IFN-beta ceases to be produced spontaneously in culture. These findings establish a previously undescribed IFN-beta-producing splenic phenotype and suggest that IFN-beta may contribute to the immunoregulation of natural suppressor systems.