Studies designed to characterize monocyte-derived recruiting activity (MRA) a monokine that stimulates endothelial cells to produce granulocyte macrophage-colony-stimulating activity (CSA) by endothelial cells, show that it is a thermolabile protein of from 12,000 to 24,000 D which, on chromatofocusing, shows three separate peaks of eluted activity from pH 7.5 to 5.0. Because these and many other properties of MRA are identical to those of interleukin 1 (IL-1), we tested the hypothesis that MRA and IL-1 are identical. We cultured vascular endothelial cells with various concentrations of purified native and recombinant IL-1 (pI 7 form), then tested the endothelial cell supernatants for GM-CSA. Purified native IL-1 and recombinant IL-1 stimulated endothelial cells to release CSA. The MRA of native IL-1, recombinant IL-1, and unfractionated monocyte conditioned medium was neutralized by a highly specific rabbit anti-human IL-1 antiserum. Chromatofocusing fractions that contained MRA contained immunoreactive IL-1 on immunoblotting and the bioactivity was neutralized completely by treatment with the antiserum. We conclude that IL-1 induces the release of CSA by vascular endothelial cells, that IL-1 is constitutively produced by monocytes in vitro, and that MRA and IL-1 are biologically, biophysically and, immunologically identical.
G C Bagby Jr, C A Dinarello, P Wallace, C Wagner, S Hefeneider, E McCall
The Editorial Board will only consider comments that are deemed relevant and of interest to readers. The Journal will not post data that have not been subjected to peer review; or a comment that is essentially a reiteration of another comment.