Characterization of regulatory (interferon-alpha/beta) and accessory (LAF/IL 1) monokine activities from liver granuloma macrophages of Schistosoma mansoni-infected mice.

Previously it was shown that macrophages (M phi) isolated from the vigorous (Vig) or modulated (Mod) liver granulomas (Gr) of Schistosoma mansoni-infected mice restored mitogen and parasite egg antigen-induced proliferative responses to accessory cell-depleted lymphocytes. Furthermore, supraoptimal concentrations of highly activated VigGrM phi suppressed lymphoproliferation to a greater extent than did the lesser activated ModGrM phi. In this study we investigated the role of soluble mediators in GrM phi accessory/regulatory activity. Indomethacin released VigGrM phi-mediated inhibition of mitogen but not antigen-induced lymphoproliferation. Extensively dialyzed serum-free GrM phi culture supernatant nonspecifically suppressed SEA- or KLH-induced blastogenesis. Culture supernatants also reduced vesicular stomatitis virus-induced plaque formation in supernatant-pretreated L-929 fibroblasts. The 20 to 45 Kd GrM phi-derived lymphoproliferation suppressive factor (SF) and the 20 to 50 Kd viral plaque-reducing factor (PRF) were stable at low pH, but became inactivated by heat and trypsin digestion. Although freshly isolated Vig or ModGrM phi contained preformed SF and PRF, in vitro production of the factors were depressed by protein synthesis inhibitors. Moreover, SF was active only when added to cultures before day 3 of the 6-day proliferation assay. Both SF and PRF were specifically retained on rabbit anti-murine IFN-alpha/beta immunoaffinity columns. Thus, the suppressive activity of Vig or ModGrM phi is in part mediated by a monokine that shares physical, biological, and antigenic characteristics with murine IFN-alpha/beta. In contrast to the suppression of antigen-driven proliferation, GrM phi culture supernatant costimulated PHA-induced mitogenesis. The 13 to 21 Kd GrM phi-derived lymphocyte-activating factor (LAF) was stable to heat, low pH, and trypsin digestion. Freshly isolated Vig or ModGrM phi contained preformed LAF, although its in vitro production was depressed by protein synthesis inhibitors. The physical and biological characteristics of GrM phi-derived LAF appear similar to IL 1. It is concluded that both Vig and ModGrM phi secrete regulatory/accessory monokines that may contribute to the initiation and maintenance of the focal inflammatory granulomatous response.