Modulation of spontaneous outgrowth of Epstein-Barr virus immortalized
B-cell clones by granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and
interleukin-3
CC Paul and MA Baumann
Department of Medicine, Wright State University School of Medicine, Dayton,
OH.
Spontaneous outgrowth of immortalized Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infected
B-cell clones will occur from cultures of peripheral blood mononuclear
cells (PBMNCs) of some persons with a history of EBV infection. We
determined that outgrowth of such clones may be reproducibly modulated by
supplementation of cultures with the hematopoietic growth factors GM- CSF
and interleukin-3 (IL-3). Continuous supplementation of cultures with
GM-CSF facilitates emergence of immortalized B-cell clones, whereas
supplementation with IL-3 completely prevents their emergence. The effect
of GM-CSF may be direct, at least in part, as the proliferation of pure
clones of EBV-transformed B lymphocytes was augmented in response to
GM-CSF. An indirect mechanism appears to be responsible for the inhibition
of transformed B-cell outgrowth in response to IL-3, as IL-3 had no
inhibitory effect on proliferation of pure transformed B-cell clones and
IL-3-mediated inhibition could be eliminated by antibody neutralization of
gamma-interferon (gamma-IFN) or tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha)
early in culture. The mechanisms of these effects deserve further study and
may have clinical relevance to use of hematopoietic growth factors for
support of bone marrow (BM) function in immunocompromised patients.
Volume 75,
Issue 1,
pp. 54-58,
01/01/1990
Copyright © 1990 by The American Society of Hematology
