Regulation of human eosinophil precursor production by cytokines: a comparison of recombinant human interleukin-1 (rhIL-1), rhIL-3, rhIL-5, rhIL-6, and rh granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor.

The effect of a panel of recombinant human (rh) cytokines on the generation of human eosinophil precursors was assessed using a two-step culture technique. Normal human bone marrow was preincubated with different cytokine combinations in liquid culture before assessment of the number of eosinophil progenitors, which give rise to eosinophil colony-forming units (CFU-Eo) on secondary semi-solid culture with either interleukin-5 (IL-5), IL-3, or granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor. rhIL-3 or rhGM-CSF, but not rhIL-5, increased the number of CFU-Eo. CFU-Eo production by rhIL-3 or rhGMCSF was maximal after 7 days' preincubation. Neither rhIL-1 or rhIL-6 acted on eosinophil precursors, either alone or in combination with rhIL-5, rhIL-3, or rhGM-CSF. A similar spectrum of activity of the cytokines was demonstrated whether rhIL-5, rhIL-3, or rhGM-CSF was used in the secondary cultures as the eosinophil CSF. However, rhIL-3 induced relatively more rhIL-5-responsive CFU-Eo than rhIL-3-responsive CFU-Eo, suggesting that rhIL-3 is pushing progenitors into an rhIL-5-responsive compartment.