Interferon Production in Human Hematopoietic Cell Lines: Response to Chemicals and Characterization of Interferons

Abstract

We have surveyed interferon production and its modulation by 5-bromodeoxyuridine, butyrate, dexamethasone, dimethylsulfoxide and tetradecanoylphorbolacetate in 20 human hematopoietic cell lines derived from leukemias, lymphomas, myelomas and normal leukocytes, representing various maturation stages of lymphoid and myeloid cells. Sendai virus-induced interferon production was enhanced by at least one of the chemicals in 13 out of 14 B-type lymphoid cell lines, whereas no enhancement was observed in any of the non-B, non-T-, T-lymphoid, or myeloid cell lines tested. Interferon produced by 11 cell lines was partially characterized using antisera specific for HuIFN-α and HuIFN-β. Six cell lines produced both IFN-α and IFN-β, two lines produced only IFN-α and three lines (including both T-cell lines tested) produced only IFN-β. In all cases examined, enhancement by chemicals of total interferon yields was due to selective stimulation of production of IFN-α. Poly (I):(C) induction of interferon was studied in a number of B-cell lines. In general, a similar pattern of IFN-α and -β synthesis was observed as in virus-induced cells, but the proportion of IFN-β was relatively smaller. Treatment with butyrate enhanced interferon production to a similar extent accompanied by a similar shift in composition as in virus-induced cells. Our results demonstrate that even in closely related cell types, production of IFN-α and IFN-β can be regulated differently in response to the same inducer. In a single cell type in response to a single inducer, expression of IFN-α and IFN-β can be differentially affected by chemicals.