Biologic characteristics of an immunosuppressive factor derived from a human lung cancer cell line.

A 549, a human lung cancer cell line, spontaneously produces a tumor-derived immunosuppressive factor (TDSF) which inhibited PHA-stimulated T lymphocyte proliferation via a noncytotoxic mechanism. The inhibition increased in a dose-dependent pattern. The factor also markedly suppressed production of interleukin (IL-2) by PHA-stimulated lymphocytes and IL 2-dependent proliferation of activated lymphocytes. The fact that TDSF possessed very potent inhibitive action on IL-2 is especially noteworthy if we consider the use of IL-2 as immunotherapeutic agent. The synthesis of the factor was inhibited by mitomycin C, actinomycin D and cycloheximide, indicating that the factor is a genic product of A 549 cells. The factor is chemically a protein with a molecular weight greater than 150 KD and sensitive to extremes of pH, heating to 60 degrees C and trypsin treatment.