Secretion of interleukin 2, macrophage-activating factor, interferon, and colony-stimulating factor by alloreactive T lymphocyte clones

Sixty-four murine alloreactive, cytolytic and noncytolytic , T lymphocyte clones were tested for the production of interleukin 2 (IL 2), macrophage-activating factor (MAF), interferon (IFN), and colony-stimulating factor (CSF). Approximately 90% of both cytolytic and noncytolytic clones secreted MAF and IFN upon antigen or mitogen stimulation. IL 2, in contrast, was only released in detectable amounts by 50% of noncytolytic clones and 50% of a subclass of cytolytic clones in which the proliferation was independent of exogenous IL 2 ("antigen-driven" clones); IL 2-dependent cytolytic clones did not release measurable IL 2. CSF was secreted by approximately 90% of noncytolytic and IL 2-independent cytolytic clones and 40% of IL 2-dependent cytolytic clones. The analysis reported here revealed a strong quantitative correlation between the titers of MAF and IFN released by the clones, suggesting that these two assays may measure the same lymphokine. Although the other activities measured were not directly correlated, a broad association was noted between IL 2 secretion and the production of high titers of MAF, IFN, and CSF. Thus, noncytolytic and IL 2-independent cytolytic clones on average released significantly higher titers of these factors than IL 2-dependent cytolytic clones.