Affinity-Purified Interleukin-2 Induces Proliferation of Large but not Small B Cells

摘要

Immunoaffinity-purified interleukin 2 (IL2) stimulated proliferation of large but not small B cells. Stimulation was observed even when B cells were cultured at very low cell densities (30,000 per microwell containing 0.2 ml of medium). Addition of small numbers of purified splenic T cells did not enhance the IL2-incuced B-cell proliferative response. These results suggest that IL2 was not operating through contaminating T cells. B-cells cultured with anti-IG antibody in virto showed enhanced proliferation when cultured with EL4 thymoma-derived B-cell growth factor but not when cultured with IL2. A direct role for IL2 in B-cell activation is discussed.