Serological, biochemical, and functional identity of B cell-stimulatory factor 1 and B cell differentiation factor for IgG1

By three criteria, we have demonstrated that B cell stimulatory factor (BSF-1) and B cell differentiation factor (BCDF-gamma) are the same lymphokine. Highly purified preparations of high performance liquid chromatography-purified or affinity-purified BSF-1 had BCDF-gamma activity but not BCDF-mu activity. A monoclonal anti-BSF-1 antibody coupled to Sepharose depleted both BSF-1 and BCDF-gamma activity but not BCDF-mu activity from two different T cell supernatants. Soluble monoclonal anti-BSF-1 blocked the BSF-1 and BCDF-gamma but not the BCDF-mu responses. These results suggest that BSF-1 acts on both resting and activated B cells to induce different effects.     

Human B cell differentiation. II. Pokeweed mitogen-responsive B cells belong to a surface immunoglobulin D-negative subpopulation

Surface immunoglobulin D (IgD)-positive lymphocytes precoated with monoclonal anti-delta antibody were selectively removed from blood mononuclear cell preparations by "panning" and by fluorescence- activated cell sorter. The depletion of sIgD+ cells did not significantly affect plasma cell responses to pokeweed mitogen PWM). PWM-responsive B cells lacking sIgD and mouse erythrocyte receptors preferentially sedimented in lower density fractions of a discontinuous Percoll gradient, and sIgD-negative B cells were found to have a larger mean diameter than IgD-positive cells. We conclude that PWM-responsive B cells represent a distinct subpopulation of relatively large cells that have ceased to express receptors for mouse erythrocytes and surface IgD.     

B cell stimulatory factor 1 (BSF-1) prepares resting B cells to enter S phase in response to anti-IgM and lipopolysaccharide

BSF-1 prepares resting BALB/c, DBA/2, and BDF1 B cells to enter S phase more promptly in response to subsequent culture with anti-IgM-based stimulants. It prepares DBA/2 and BDF1 B cells to respond to LPS, but its preparative effect for LPS responses of BALB/c B cells is both inconstant and meager. Preparation mediated by BSF-1 requires extended contact of B cells with the stimulant for full effect. Half-maximal preparation requires approximately 12 h of contact, as judged by delayed addition of BSF-1 or by inhibition of BSF-1 action with anti-BSF-1 mAbs. BSF-1 preparative action on resting DBA/2 B cells is mimicked by anti-Lyb-2.1 antibody. B cell blasts prepared by culture with BSF-1 and anti-IgM show modest responses to high concentrations of BSF-1; large B cells directly isolated from the spleen are not stimulated to enter S phase by BSF-1. These results lead us to conclude that BSF-1 functions principally as an activation factor for resting B cells.     

B cell growth factors and B cell differentiation factor from human T hybridomas. Two distinct kinds of B cell growth factor and their synergism in B cell proliferation

Human T hybridomas secreting B cell growth factors (BCGF) and B cell differentiation factor (BCDF) have been established. Hybrid clones 77- A, 94-C, and 98-F secreted BCGF that induced proliferation of anti-IgM- stimulated normal B cells. The culture supernatant from 77-A cells could also maintain continuous proliferation of colony-forming B cells, but the factor from 94-C could not. The addition of the supernatant from 94-C cells to that from 77-A cells, however, synergistically augmented the proliferation of colony-forming B cells, demonstrating the existence of two distinct kinds of BCGF and the synergism between them. These supernatants, however, showed no interleukin 2 (IL-2) or BCDF activity. A hybrid clone, 90-E, secreted BCDF. The culture supernatant induced Ig production in Cowan I-stimulated normal B cells or in a transformed B cell line, CESS. However, the supernatant had no BCGF or IL-2 activity. Anti-Ig-stimulated B cells, but not IL-2- dependent T cells, absorbed BCGF activity and CESS cells absorbed BCDF activity but not BCGF activity in the culture supernatants from T hybridomas. Taken collectively, the results demonstrated that IL-2, BCGF, and BCDF were different molecules and acceptors specific for the each molecule are present on the each target cell.     

The essential role of B cell stimulatory factor 2 (BSF-2/IL-6) for the terminal differentiation of B cells

The role of recombinant B cell stimulatory factor 2 (BSF-2/IL-6) in the regulation of growth and differentiation of B cells was investigated. rBSF-2 at 200 pg/ml could induce 50% of the maximum Ig production in B lymphoblastoid cell lines, the specific activity being estimated as 5 X 10(6) U/mg. rBSF-2 augmented PWM-induced IgM, IgG, and IgA production in mononuclear cells (MNC); the effect was exerted by directly acting on PWM-induced B blast cells to induce Ig production. However, rBSF-2 did not induce any growth of activated B cells. In contrast, rBSF-2 showed a potent growth activity on a murine hybridoma clone, MH60.BSF2. The concentration required for half-maximal [3H]TdR uptake was approximately 5 pg/ml, which was 40 times less than that required for Ig induction in a B cell line. Anti-BSF-2 antibody inhibited PWM-induced Ig production in MNC, but not PWM-induced proliferation. The antibody was effective even when added on day 4 of an 8-d culture, indicating that BSF-2 is one of the essential late-acting factors in PWM-induced Ig production.     

Normal B cell homeostasis requires B cell activation factor production by radiation-resistant cells

The cellular source of B cell activation factor (BAFF) required for peripheral B cell survival/maturation is unknown. To determine the nature of BAFF-producing cells we established and analyzed reciprocal bone marrow (BM) chimeras with wild-type (WT) and BAFF-deficient mice. The results revealed that BAFF production by radiation-resistant stromal cells is completely sufficient to provide a necessary signal for B cell survival/maturation, as BAFF-/- BM cells transferred into lethally irradiated WT mice gave rise to normal numbers of follicular (FO) and marginal zone (MZ) B cell subpopulations. On the other hand, transfer of WT BM into BAFF-/- lethally irradiated mice resulted only in minimal reconstitution of mature FO B cells and no restoration of MZ B cells. Thus, in the absence of BAFF+/+ stromal cells, BAFF production by BM-derived cells, presumably by macrophages, dendritic cells, and/or neutrophils, was not at all sufficient to support normal B cell homeostasis. Interestingly, immunization of both types of chimeras stimulated high levels of antigen-specific antibody secretion, indicating that either stromal cell- or hematopoietic cell-derived BAFF is sufficient for B cell antibody responses.     

胶质细胞源性神经营养因子对猴骨髓间充质干细胞分化为神经元样细胞的影响

背景：鉴于骨髓间充质干细胞体外分化为神经样细胞的最终研究目的,是将诱导后的细胞移植入体内参与损伤神经系统的修复过程,因此,保证移植细胞的活性显得十分重要。目的：探讨胶质细胞源性神经营养因子对隐丹参酮体外诱导猴骨髓间充质干细胞分化为神经元样细胞的保护作用。方法：以隐丹参酮为诱导剂诱导第8代猴骨髓间充质干细胞分化为神经元样细胞,应用流式细胞仪检测不同时段诱导细胞的凋亡百分比（每间隔0.5h为1组,共12组）。选择细胞凋亡百分比较高的一个时段,观察添加不同质量浓度胶质细胞源性神经营养因子（0-100μg/L,共11组）对诱导细胞凋亡的影响。结果与结论：诱导后细胞凋亡百分比逐渐升高,约4h时达到峰值,维持约1h后下降（P〈0.05）。随着胶质细胞源性神经营养因子质量浓度由0μg/L提高到30μg/L,细胞凋亡百分比逐渐下降（P〈0.05）,当胶质细胞源性神经营养因子质量浓度超过30μg/L后,细胞凋亡水平受胶质细胞源性神经营养因子质量浓度影响不再显著。结果可见胶质细胞源性神经营养因子在隐丹参酮体外诱导猴骨髓间充质干细胞分化为神经元样细胞过程中具有保护作用。     

Human cutaneous T cell lymphoma and leukemia cell lines produce and respond to T cell growth factor

Three cell lines of mature T cell origin derived from patients with cutaneous T cell lymphoma-leukemias (CTCL) were found to be constitutive producers of T cell growth factor (L-TCGF). These are the first reported human cell lines which constitutively produce TCGF. Biologically active TCGF could also be eluted from the surface of these cells using an acid glycine buffer under conditions that maintained cell viability, and subcellular fractionation showed that almost all the TCGF activity was associated with the plasma membrane. Over 30 other human hematopoietic cell lines derived from other disorders were unable to produce TCGF even after induction, and their acid eluates did not contain TCGF activity. L-TCGF from CTCL lines had the same biological activity as TCGF obtained from normal leukocytes (N-TCGF) in that they both supported the long-term growth of normal T cells only after the cells were previously activated by antigen or lectin. Both L-TCGF and N-TCGF increased the rate of proliferation of TCGF-independent and TCGF-dependent CTCL cell lines. The same three factor-independent cell lines that released TCGF adsorbed TCGF in a cell-concentration, time-, and temperature-dependent manner. Since the CTCL cell lines produce TCGF, adsorb TCGF, and increase their proliferative rate in response to TCGF or a related molecule, it is suggested that this endogenously produced factor plays a role in maintaining the abnormal proliferation of these cells in culture as permanently growing cell lines independent of exogenous TCGF. However, this does not mean that this is an essential aspect of neoplastic transformation. Since it is unusual to develop these cell lines in the absence of the continuous need for added TCGF, “autostimulation” may be one of the many unusual variant phenotypic properties sometimes associated with neoplastic cells that gives them a selective advantage for in vitro growth.     

Human appendix B cells naturally express receptors for and respond to interleukin 6 with selective IgA1 and IgA2 synthesis

Past studies have shown that freshly isolated human B cells from peripheral blood and tonsils do not express IL-6 receptors (IL-6R); however, mitogen or antigen activation of these B cells induces IL-6R and responsiveness to IL-6. In this study, we have shown that a high proportion of B cells enzymatically dissociated from human appendix, a gut-associated lymphoreticular tissue (GALT), expresses the IL-6R, and that recombinant human IL-6 induces significant increases in the number of Ig-producing cells. The recombinant human IL-6-induced increase in Ig-producing cells is restricted to the IgA isotype. Further, IgA2 is the major subclass; however, significant numbers of IgA1 producing cells are also seen. In contrast, human tonsillar and peripheral blood B cells express low levels of IL-6R, and exogenous IL-6 does not increase numbers of Ig-producing cells. When PBMC or tonsillar cells are stimulated with PWM, the former display an equal distribution of IgA1 and IgA2 secreting cells, while tonsillar B cells are mainly of the IgA1 subclass. The distribution of surface Ig-positive (sIg+) B cells in the appendix B cell population is sIgA+ greater than sIgG+ greater than sIgM+, and the sIgA+ B cells express higher levels of IL-6R when compared with sIgG+ or sIgM+ B cells. These studies show that human appendix contains B cell subsets that constitutively express IL-6R, and that a high proportion of these cells are committed to the IgA isotype. Furthermore, higher numbers of IL-6 responsive IgA2 B cells are present in the human appendix as compared to tonsils or PBMC.     

Murine B cell differentiation lineages

Subpopulations of mouse B cells express different amounts of two antigens (BLA-1 and BLA-2) recognized by rat monoclonal antibodies (53- 10.1 and 30-E2). Two-color immunofluorescence analysis on the fluorescence-activated cell sorter (FACS) shows that the 53-10.1 monoclonal antibody reacts with a similar proportion of splenic B cells from normal and CBA/N (xid) mice, whereas 30-E2 reacts with most CBA/N B cells but with only a fraction of normal B cells. Data from three- and four-color immunofluorescence analyses with xid, athymic (nude), and normal mice suggest that the order in which these antigens are lost during B cell differentiation distinguishes two B cell lineages: immature B cells express both antigens, intermediate-stage B cells of one or the other lineage express only BLA-1 or only BLA-2, respectively, and mature resting B cells express neither. CBA/N mice lack one of the putative intermediate populations (BLA-1+,2-); thus, this population apparently gives rise to the predominant mature B cell population, which is present in normal adult spleen and lymph node but is missing in CBA/N. The other putative intermediate population (BLA-1- ,2+) is decreased by two- to threefold in spleens from nude mice compared with strain-matched controls. Both BLA-1 and BLA-2 antigens rapidly reappear after specific (antigen) or nonspecific (lipopolysaccharide) B cell activation. IgM plaque-forming cells (PFC) derived from such activated cells continue to express both antigens while IgG PFC express only BLA-1.     

Normal Lyt-1+2- T cells have the unique capacity to respond to syngeneic autoreactive T cells. Demonstration of a T cell network

In the present communication, we describe the unique observation that Lyt-1+2-, L3T4+ T cells but not Lyt-2+ T cells isolated from the spleens of normal, unimmunized H-2d mice proliferate strongly and directly to an irradiated, syngeneic, Lyt-1+2-, L3T4+, Ia- autoreactive T cell line/clone. In contrast, Lyt-1+2- T cells failed to proliferate when stimulated by long-term, antigen-specific, H-2d-restricted T cell lines. Supernatants from the cultures of autoreactive T cells or recombinant interleukin 2 (IL-2) alone, failed to induce proliferation of the Lyt-1+2- T cells, suggesting that cell-cell interaction is essential for growth. In addition, the proliferative response of Lyt-1+2- T cells was independent of Ia+ antigen-presenting cells and was not blocked by either anti-Iad or anti-H-2d antibodies, but was inhibited by anti-L3T4 antibodies. All these observations suggested that the responding Lyt-1+2- T cells were recognizing the anti-self-Ia receptor expressed on autoreactive T cells and that such T cells might therefore express the internal image of self-Ia determinants. We suggest that the T-T interactions observed may represent interactions between two helper T cell subpopulations at the idiotope level and that autoreactive T cells may function as an important feature of the regulatory network and/or lead to the expansion of the T cell repertoire.     

Purification to homogeneity of a high molecular weight human B cell growth factor; demonstration of specific binding to activated B cells; and development of a monoclonal antibody to the factor

High molecular weight B cell growth factor (HMW-BCGF) produced by a T cell line was purified to homogeneity and demonstrated to bind specifically to activated human B cells. A monoclonal antibody to HMW-BCGF was developed that (a) specifically inhibited the activity of HMW-BCGF in enhancing B cell proliferation, (b) specifically bound to HMW-BCGF in Western blots, (c) specifically absorbed HMW-BCGF activity from culture supernatants, and (d) specifically absorbed an internally labeled protein from T-ALL supernatant which comigrates with HMW-BCGF on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels. This antibody should help in cloning the gene for HMW-BCGF and further exploring the physiologic roles of HMW-BCGF.     

Interleukin 10, a novel B cell stimulatory factor: unresponsiveness of X chromosome-linked immunodeficiency B cells

Highly purified, small dense splenic B cells from unstimulated mice showed increased expression of class II major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigens and enhanced viability when cultured with affinity-purified recombinant interleukin 10 (rIL-10), compared with B cells cultured in medium alone. These responses were blocked by a monoclonal antibody (mAb) specific for IL-10, but not by an isotype-matched control antibody. IL-10 did not upregulate the expression of Fc epsilon receptors (CD23) or class I MHC antigens on small dense B cells or induce their replication as monitored by [3H]thymidine incorporation. While these B cell-stimulatory properties of IL-10 are also mediated by IL-4, the two cytokines appear to act independently in these assays; anti-IL-10 antibodies blocked IL-10 but not IL-4-mediated B cell viability enhancement, and vice versa. Similarly, since IL-4 upregulates CD23 on small dense B cells, the inability of IL-10 to do so argues against its acting via endogenously generated IL-4. Finally, IL-10 did not upregulate class II MHC antigens on B cells from X chromosome-linked immunodeficiency (XID) mice, while the same cells showed normal upregulation of class II antigens in response to IL-4. This report also extends our understanding of the relationship between IL-10 and the highly homologous Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-encoded Bam HI fragment C rightward reading frame no. 1 (BCRFI) protein. It has previously been shown that BCRFI protein exhibits the cytokine synthesis inhibitory activity of IL-10. This report indicates that BCRFI protein also enhances in vitro B cell viability, but does not upregulate class II MHC antigens on B cells. One explanation for these data is that IL-10 contains at least two functional epitopes, only one of which has been conserved by EBV.     

肝干细胞体外分化中细胞生长因子调控与肝癌的关系

目前人们对肝干细胞的分化潜能及特性已形成共识,但体外分离培养肝干细胞的方法还不成熟,肝干细胞体外分离培养方法的建立是在体外条件下对肝干细胞的生物学特性进行深入研究的前提和基础.肝细胞生长因子、表皮生长因子、成纤维细胞生长因子、胰岛素、转化生长因子等细胞生长因子对肝干细胞的体外培养、生长和分化可能具有重要的调控作用.肝干细胞在一定条件下可以转化为肝癌细胞,肝干细胞在肝癌的发生中起着非常重要的作用.肝干细胞移植研究为肝细胞移植、生物型人工肝、肝癌靶向基因治疗提供细胞来源.     

B cell stimulatory factor 1 (interleukin 4) is sufficient for the proliferation and differentiation of lectin-stimulated cytolytic T lymphocyte precursors

In this report, we demonstrate that IL-4 is sufficient to stimulate both the proliferation and differentiation of Lyt-2+, Ia- splenic CTL precursors stimulated with the mitogenic lectin Con A. The response to IL-4 and Con A was not dependent on a putative endogenous production of IL-2 within the cultures, as demonstrated by an absence of an inhibitory effect by an anti-IL-2-R blocking mAb. Our results indicate that IL-2 and IL-4 can support an equivalent proliferative response by lectin-stimulated Lyt-2+ T lymphocytes, while IL-4 is more efficacious in stimulating their differentiation into mature cytolytically active cells.