Concurrent enhancement of monocyte immunoregulatory properties and effector functions by recombinant interferon-γ

Interferon-gamma is a critical factor in the activation of several mononuclear phagocyte effector and immunoregulatory properties. However, it remains uncertain if IFN-gamma is capable of concurrent activation of both functions in the same cell population. Plastic adherent mononuclear cells (80-98% MN by cytochemical criteria) were cultivated in the absence or presence of recombinant interferon-gamma (rIFN-gamma, 0.1-100 U/ml) for 48 hr. MN surface DR antigen was assessed by flow cytometry (EPICS V) after staining with monoclonal antibodies OKIa1 or L243. Exposure to rIFN-gamma (100 U/ml) increased MN surface DR antigen (mean fluorescence intensity) by 80 +/- 20% (P less than 0.01) and 121 +/- 52% (P less than 0.001), respectively, compared to untreated cells. The increase in DR antigen was maximal at 100 U/ml, dependent on protein and RNA synthesis and blocked by agents that increase cAMP levels. IL-1 activity was determined in the mouse thymocyte assay; rIFN-gamma (100 U/ml) increased IL-1 activity in the supernatants of MN cultured in medium alone from 0.5 +/- 0.2 to 7.8 +/- 4.7 U/ml (P less than 0.05), and lipopolysaccharide-stimulated MN from 20.4 +/- 19.1 to 71.7 +/- 38.9 U/ml (P less than 0.05). Following rIFN-gamma exposure, MN stimulation of the AMLR was increased at 6 days (29,269 +/- 5224 vs 13,252 +/- 4938 cpm, P less than 0.01). Spontaneous cytotoxicity (SC) and antibody-dependent cell cytotoxicity (ADCC) were studied in a 51Cr release microculture assay using the human lymphoblastoid cell line CCRF-CEM as target. SC by MN increased linearly as a function of log[rIFN-gamma] for effector:target (E:T) ratios of 5:1 (r = 0.95, P less than 0.01) and 10:1 (r = 0.99, P less than 0.01). ADCC by MN increased following rIFN-gamma exposure (100 U/ml) at E:T ratios of 5:1 (22 +/- 13 to 31 +/- 4%, P less than 0.025) and 10:1 (31 +/- 4 to 38 +/- 4%, P less than 0.01). Thus, rIFN-gamma not only activates MN effector function, but has concurrent stimulatory effects on multiple MN properties critical to immunoregulation.