Antibodies and their role in interleukin-1 research

Human thymic epithelial cells in serum-free culture: changes in cytokine production in primary and successive culture periods

Human thymic epithelial cells (TEC) have been cultured in a growth factor-defined serum-free medium, and their production of cytokines in primary cultures and during three subsequent culture periods was investigated. TEC produced interleukin (IL)-1 alpha, IL-6, and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) in all culture periods, as detected by the use of ELISA and B9 cell assay. The highest concentrations of the cytokines were found in the tertiary and quaternary subculture period, but in these subcultures the production decreased progressively. There was no clear correlation between cell proliferation and cytokine production in the cultures.

Membrane expression of IL-1 alpha in chronic B lymphocytic leukemia

Patients with B chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL) demonstrate a high variability in disease activity, from a benign monoclonal lymphocytosis to a rapidly fatal condition. Progressive B-CLL is related to a high expression of different growth factor receptors on the leukemic cells and to a high proliferative in vitro response to Staphylococcus aureus strain Cowan 1 (SAC). As the expression of membrane IL-1 alpha (mIL-1 alpha) indicates B lymphocyte activation, we have investigated mIL-1 alpha on cells from patients at different stages of the disease. Total cellular levels of IL-1 alpha were measured by flow cytometry of permeabilized cells and compared with CD5, CD19, CD25 and IgM expression on the cell surface. mIL-1 alpha is upregulated, both in leukemic and normal lymphocytes, in response to sIgM cross-linking with SAC or phorbol ester activation. A significantly higher expression of mIL-1 alpha was found in cells from patients with a clinically benign form of the disease.