Adherence of human peripheral blood lymphocytes to measles-infected cells. Enhancement by prostaglandin E1.

We studied the effect of prostaglandins in vitro on an immune reaction mediated by T cells; adherence of lymphocytes to measles-virus-infected human epithelial cells. Normal human lymphocytes adhered to a mean +/- S.D. 20.1 +/- 5.2 per cent of these HEp-2 cells. The percentage positive cells increased to 50.3 +/- 5.7 when lymphocytes were incubated with 10(-6) M prostaglandin E1 (P less than 0.01 vs. untreated lymphocytes); 10(-8) M and 10(-10) M were as effective. Prostaglandin F2alpha had no effect on lymphocyte adherence. Prostaglandin E1 increased lymphocyte cyclic AMP five to 10 times whereas prostagladin F2alpha did not affect cellular levels of this nucleotide. Dibutyryl cyclic AMP (10(-8) M) increased lymphocyte adherence: positive human epithelial cells increased from 16.0 +/- 2.4 to 38.7 +/- 1.1 per cent (P less than 0.01). Prostagladin E1 also increased adherence of lymphocytes from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus from 21.8 +/- 5.8 to 52.5 +/- 9.2 per cent (P less than 0.01). These results indicate that prostagladin E1 and cyclic AMP may serve to stimulate T-cell function and cell-mediated immunity.