INTERLEUKIN-1, BUT NOT INTERLEUKIN-1 INHIBITOR, IS RELEASED FROM HUMAN MONOCYTES BY IMMUNE-COMPLEXES

Immune complexes (IC) are believed to play a role in the pathogenesis of some autoimmune diseases in which interleukin 1 (IL‐1) and probably other cytokines also take part. This investigation shows that tetanus toxoid human anti‐tetanus toxoid IC induce human monocytes to release IL‐1. The activity was identified as being mainly IL‐1β by molecular size chromatography, isoelectric focusing, and anti‐IL‐1β affinity chromatography. Endotoxins were eliminated by repetitive washing of the IC suspension and by preincubation of IC with polymyxin B. The IL‐1‐inducing effect of IC was destroyed by healing at 80° C. and it was not blocked by the cytoskeleton inhibitor cytochalasin B. IL‐1 inhibitors were not detected in the supernatants. Copyright © 1990, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved