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Conditioned medium from human monocytes contains a partially characterized hepatocyte-stimulating factor that simultaneously elevates the mRNA levels of the acute-phase protein beta-fibrinogen and decreases albumin mRNA in rat hepatoma cells. We demonstrate that recombinant human B-cell stimulatory factor 2, which is identical to interferon-beta 2/26 kDa protein and interleukin-HP1, exhibits the same activity as hepatocyte-stimulating factor. Furthermore, a specific antibody against B-cell stimulatory factor 2 was able to inhibit hepatocyte-stimulating factor in conditioned medium from human monocytes. Our data show that hepatocyte-stimulating factor and B-cell stimulatory factor 2 are functionally and immunologically related proteins.
Andus et al. (Mon,) studied this question.