Enhancement of lymphokine-activated T killer cell tumor necrosis factor receptor mRNA transcription, tumor necrosis factor receptor membrane expression, and tumor necrosis factor/lymphotoxin release by IL-1 beta, IL-4, and IL-6 in vitro.

Co-culture with IL-2 can induce human T lymphocytes to proliferate and become nongenetically restricted, lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells in vitro. Our studies were conducted with long term cultured, human T-LAK cells from peripheral blood, which are 95 to 99% CD3+. We found that proliferating 7 to 10-day human T-LAK cells express TNFR, by using a 125I-TNF binding assay. Additional treatment of these cells with the cytokines IL-1 beta, IL-4, or IL-6 rapidly up-regulated 55-kDa TNFR mRNA transcription and doubled TNFR membrane expression. Further studies revealed that these cytokines also increased the release of TNF and lymphotoxin (LT). Antibody neutralization studies indicated that IL-1 induces release of both TNF and LT; however, IL-4 and IL-6 induce primarily LT release. These results further support the concept that these cytokines are involved in the regulation of TNF/LT release, TNFR synthesis, and TNFR membrane expression. It is apparent that cytokines and their membrane receptors are involved in the autocrine/paracrine control of T cell proliferation, differentiation, and expression of functional activity after IL-2 stimulation in vitro.