Kimata H, Yoshida A, Ishioka C, Mikawa H
Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Kyoto University Hospital, Japan.
Immunology. 1991 Mar;72(3):451-2.
The effects of nerve growth factor (NGF) on human lymphoblastoid B-cell lines were studied. NGF increased Ig production and proliferation by lymphoblastoid B-cell lines GM-1500, GM-1056 and CBL in a dose-dependent manner. As little as 0.01 ng/ml of NGF was effective. This effect was blocked by anti-NGF serum but not by control serum. Other cytokines, including interleukin (IL)-1 beta, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, interferon (IFN)-alpha, IFN-beta, IFN-gamma and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), did not stimulate Ig production. These results indicate that, in addition to its neurotropic effect NGF also acts as B-cell stimulatory factor.