Dendritic cells as initiators of tumor immune responses: a possible strategy for tumor immunotherapy?
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Animals↗
Biomedical subjects
R D Granstein
Publications and source records attributed to R D Granstein.
Modulation of Langerhans cell function by epidermal nerves.
Many if not most epidermal Langerhans cells appeared to be closely associated anatomically with calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)-containing nerves as determined by confocal laser scanning microscopy. Furthermore, a small proportion of Langerhans cells had immunoreactive CGRP at or near their cell surfaces, suggesting that nerves are capable of depositing CGRP at or near Langerhans cells. CGRP inhibited Langerhans cell antigen-presenting capability for elicitation of delayed-type hypersensitivity in immunized mice to present alloantigens in the mixed epidermal cell-lymphocyte reaction and to present a protein antigen to a responsive hybridoma. As a whole, these data suggest the possibility that products of nerves within the epidermis might serve to regulate Langerhans cell function. The apparent apposition of epidermal nerves with Langerhans cells suggests a possible locus of interaction between the nervous system and the immune system within the skin.
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Structure-function relations in the inhibition of murine contact hypersensitivity by amiloride.
Topical application of amiloride, a potent inhibitor of the Na+/H+ antiport, inhibits cutaneous inflammation induced by ultraviolet radiation or contact hypersensitivity in mice. Amiloride analogues with greater and lesser inhibition of the Na+/H+ exchange were tested to determine whether anti-inflammatory effects correlate with this activity. Structural analogues of amiloride without significant activity at the Na+/H+ antiport (pyrazine, pyrazinamide, and chloropyrazine) failed to inhibit contact hypersensitivity. N-amidino-3-amino-5-dimethyl amino-6-chloropyrazinecarboxamide (DMA) has a 23-fold greater affinity for the Na+/H+ antiport compared to amiloride, but failed to inhibit contact hypersensitivity in this assay. 3,5-diamino-6-chloropyrazine-amido-guanidine (DCG), which has only 7% of the affinity of amiloride for the antiport, suppressed contact hypersensitivity as well as amiloride. Experiments examining the ability of these agents to diffuse through mouse skin revealed amiloride to be superior to both DCG and DMA, which were approximately equal. DMA, with greater inhibition of the Na+/H+ antiport but lesser ability to inhibit contact hypersensitivity, inhibited protein synthesis and induced cell death more than amiloride or DCG. Amiloride and DCG hold promise as topical anti-inflammatory agents. Their anti-inflammatory properties do not correlate with affinity for the Na+/H+ antiport, ability to penetrate murine skin, or inhibition of protein synthesis.
Amiloride↗
Evidence that sunscreens prevent UV radiation-induced immunosuppression in humans. Sunscreens have their day in the sun.
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Calcitonin gene-related peptide modulates Langerhans cell antigen-presenting function.
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Epidermal cell presentation of tumor-associated antigens for induction of tolerance.
Intravenous administration of hapten-coupled epidermal cells (EC) induces tolerance in mice. To assess the relevance of this observation to cutaneous tumors, the ability of EC to induce tolerance to the S1509a spindle cell tumor (H-2a) was examined. ECs were prepared from CAF1 (H-2a/d) mice and the supernatant from a freeze-thaw lysate of S1509a cells was used as a source of soluble tumor-associated Ag (TAA). ECs were incubated in TAA or medium alone followed by washing. Two hundred thousand TAA-pulsed ECs, non-TAA-pulsed ECs, or TAA-pulsed ECs killed by freeze-thawing were injected i.v. into groups of CAF1 mice. To determine whether this regimen induced tolerance, a tumor-specific delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) response was measured in mice subsequently immunized to the S1509a tumor. To assess the degree of immunity induced in these animals, ECs were prepared and deleted of Thy-1-bearing cells by Ab and complement-mediated lysis. These cells were then pulsed with TAA and 5 x 10(5) were injected into the right hind footpad of each mouse. Footpad swelling was assessed at 24 to 48 h as a measure of the DTH. Mice primed i.v. with viable TAA-pulsed EC but not killed TAA-pulsed EC demonstrated a greatly suppressed DTH response. Other experiments demonstrated that exposure of EC to a dose of ultraviolet radiation (200 J/m2), which inhibits the ability of these cells to induce immunity by subcutaneous injection either before or after TAA pulsing, did not prevent induction of tolerance.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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Interferon-gamma inhibits tumor antigen presentation by epidermal antigen-presenting cells.
Murine I-A+ epidermal antigen-presenting cells (APCs) have been shown to be capable of presenting soluble tumor fragments (TFs), as a source of tumor-associated antigens (TAAs), for primary and secondary tumor immune responses. In this study we investigated whether incubation of epidermal APCs in interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) modulates their ability to present TAA and whether the effects of IFN-gamma on the presentation of tumor antigen correspond to its effects on alloantigen presentation in both primed and unprimed systems. Our results show that three weekly subcutaneous injections of naive mice with GM-CSF-cultured but not with fresh TAA-pulsed epidermal APCs induce protective tumor immunity in naive mice and that the immunostimulatory effect of GM-CSF in this system is abrogated by coculture of epidermal cells in IFN-gamma. Furthermore, epidermal APCs are able to present TAA to primed, tumor-immune mice, as assessed by the elicitation of tumor-specific delayed-type hypersensitivity after injection of TAA-pulsed epidermal APCs. IFN-gamma was found to inhibit tumor antigen presentation by freshly prepared epidermal APCs in this system. The effects of IFN-gamma on the presentation of tumor antigen correlated well with its effects on the primary and secondary mixed epidermal cell-lymphocyte reaction, indicating that IFN-gamma differentially modulates the function of epidermal APCs with regard to induction versus elicitation of immunity.
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Interleukin 1 alpha but not transforming growth factor beta inhibits tumor antigen presentation by epidermal antigen-presenting cells.
Cutaneous I-A+ Langerhans cells are the principal antigen-presenting cells within the epidermis, capable of both initiating and eliciting CD4-dependent immune reactions. We recently demonstrated that epidermal Langerhans cells can present tumor-associated antigens and thus may be important in cutaneous tumor immunity. Despite the ability of Langerhans cells to present tumor antigens, they generally fail to induce protective tumor immunity against growing tumors in situ. We therefore investigated whether locally produced cytokines may be able to down-regulate the presentation of tumor-associated antigens and alloantigen by epidermal antigen-presenting cells in primed as well as in unprimed systems in vivo and in vitro. Naive syngeneic mice could be successfully immunized against the spindle cell tumor S1509a by injecting them with granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor-exposed and tumor-associated antigen-pulsed epidermal cells three times at weekly intervals. Co-incubation of epidermal cells in granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor and interleukin-1 alpha inhibited tumor-antigen presentation by epidermal antigen-presenting cells in this system and also inhibited alloantigen presentation in the primary mixed epidermal cell-lymphocyte reaction. Tumor necrosis factor-alpha appeared to be a significant mediator of the inhibitory effect of interleukin-1 alpha on the ability of epidermal antigen-presenting cells to induce protective tumor immunity, because addition of anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha antibody abrogated the observed effect of interleukin-1 alpha. However, the effects of interleukin-1 alpha and tumor necrosis factor-alpha differed with regard to presentation of tumor-associated antigens by epidermal antigen-presenting cells in a primed system. Whereas incubation of epidermal cells in interleukin-1 alpha before or after tumor antigen pulse inhibited their ability to elicit a delayed-type hypersensitivity response against S1509a tumor-associated antigens in tumor-immune mice, culture in tumor necrosis factor-alpha significantly enhanced delayed-type hypersensitivity. Again, these in vivo data corresponded well to similar results obtained in vitro using the secondary mixed epidermal cell-lymphocyte reaction. Incubation of epidermal cells in transforming growth factor-beta, which has been shown to down-regulate T-cell-mediated immune responses in other systems, did not suppress tumor immunity in our assays. Thus, interleukin-1 alpha may be an important regulator of Langerhans cell antigen-presenting function, having effects that are partially mediated via interleukin-1 alpha-induced up-regulation of tumor necrosis factor-alpha secretion within the skin.
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Experimental photoaging in C3H/HeN, C3H/HeJ, and Balb/c mice: comparison of changes in extracellular matrix components and mast cell numbers.
Chronic exposure of human or murine skin to ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation alters dermal extracellular matrix composition and increases the number of mast cells and inflammatory cells. Experiments were designed to test the possible role of UVB-induced tumor necrosis factor-alpha in these photoaging changes based on reports that C3H/HeN, but not C3H/HeJ or Balb/c mice, produce excess TNF-alpha in response to UVB exposure. Pigmented C3H/HeN and C3H/HeJ strains were exposed to a total of 75 J/cm2 of UVB radiation, and unpigmented Balb/c mice were exposed to 19 J/cm2. The UVB-induced increases in collagen, glycosaminoglycans, and neutrophil number were similar or the same in all three strains. The elastin increase was greater in C3H/HeJ than in C3H/HeN mice. The most striking difference between the strains was a 7.7-fold UVB-induced increase in mast cells in C3H/HeN mice compared to no increase in irradiated C3H/HeJ mice and a 2.3-fold increase in Balb/c mice. These results suggest that excess TNF-alpha (or other mediator) produced in C3H/HeN skin (but not C3H/HeJ skin) in response to UVB exposure is involved in the mast cell increase and partial inhibition of elastin increase, but that neither these mediators nor mast cell products are important mediators for the chronic UVB-induced increases in neutrophils, glycosaminoglycans, and collagen. When a possible source of the excess TNF-alpha was investigated, it was found that isolated epidermal cells from all three strains produced increases in TNF-alpha in response to UVB radiation. These results, as well as the previous results showing differences between these strains in UVB-induced effects on cutaneous immune function, are consistent with a model in which UVB-induced mediators from the epidermis stimulate another cell type to produce excess TNF-alpha (and other mediators) in the C3H/HeN but not C3H/HeJ or Balb/c mice.
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Characterization of cutaneous antigen presentation in partially inbred miniature swine.
MHC class I and II-defined, partially inbred miniature swine have recently become available as a large animal model in transplantation immunology. To investigate cutaneous immunocompetence in this model, cutaneous antigen presenting cell (APC) function was assessed. For morphologic analysis, punch biopsies were examined by electron microscopy. By this technique, epidermal Langerhans cells bearing typical Birbeck granules could be detected. For functional studies, epidermal cell (EC) suspensions were prepared from split thickness skin specimens. Using FACS analysis, freshly prepared epidermal cell suspensions contained 1.8-4.7% MHC class II-positive cells. These EC potently stimulated allogeneic nylon wool-enriched peripheral blood T cells in the primary mixed EC-lymphocyte reaction. For in vivo assessment of cutaneous APC function, EC suspensions enriched for or depleted of class II-positive EC were generated by panning of class II-positive EC using mouse anti-MHC class II antibodies and anti-mouse IgG-coated petri dishes. EC were then coupled to the hapten trinitrophenol (TNP) and injected s.c. into autologous or MHC-mismatched pigs twice at a one week interval. One week later, pigs were challenged by s.c.-injection of 0.5-1 x 10(7) TNP-coupled or uncoupled EC. Autologous unseparated EC as well as EC enriched for MHC class II-positive cells were able to sensitize naive animals against TNP, whereas neither TNP-coupled EC depleted of class II-positive APC, MHC-mismatched EC coupled to TNP, nor uncoupled EC induced immunity to TNP. Our data indicate that inbred miniature swine possess competent cutaneous APC which are able to induce cutaneous APC which are able to induce cutaneous immunity in a matter similar to Langerhans cells in murine or human skin.
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Production of interleukin-6 and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor by murine iris and ciliary body explants.
PURPOSE: To examine the ability of murine iris-ciliary body explants to produce cytokines with proinflammatory activities. METHODS: Supernatants derived from murine iris-ciliary body (I-CB) tissue explants cultured (four per well in 1 ml medium) in the presence of indomethacin were analyzed for the production of IL-1, IL-2, IL-3, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha/beta (TNF alpha/beta) and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF). Analysis was performed by thymocyte costimulation, growth factor-dependent cell proliferation, TGF-beta-sensitive mink lung epithelial cell proliferation, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). RESULTS: Supernatants from I-CB explants cultured in vitro for 24 hours contained significant thymocyte costimulatory activity. This activity was fully neutralized by a combination of antisera to IL-1 and IL-6, and ELISA analysis confirmed that IL-6 was a significant component of the supernatant (402.7 pg/ml). TNF alpha/beta were also found in low concentrations (approximately 2.0 U/ml) by ELISA analysis, whereas IL-2 and IL-4 were not detectable. Significant amounts of GM-CSF (15.8 U/ml), but no IL-3, were detected. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate that normal I-CB tissue contains cells capable of producing IL-6, GM-CSF, and IL-1. Because of the proinflammatory nature of IL-6 and IL-1, and the ability of GM-CSF, IL-1, and IL-6 to enhance functional capabilities of antigen presenting cells, regulation of the production of these cytokines may contribute significantly to the maintenance of the immunologic status of this regional site.
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Mechanisms of ultraviolet radiation carcinogenesis.
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The presence of biologically significant concentrations of glucocorticoids but little or no cortisol binding globulin within aqueous humor: relevance to immune privilege in the anterior chamber of the eye.
PURPOSE: Immunosuppressive factors in aqueous humor (AH) contribute to the immune-privileged status of the anterior chamber of the eye. One such factor is transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta); other relevant inhibitors have not been fully identified. The authors examined AH to search for other putative inhibitors and to determine their effect on TGF-beta inhibitory activity. METHODS: Radioimmunoassays (RIA) were used to detect the presence of hydrocortisone, corticosterone, cortisol binding globulin (CBG), and alpha-melanocyte stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) in AH. The ability of these factors to inhibit murine thymocyte proliferation stimulated by phytohemagglutinin-interleukin 1 (PHA/IL-1) and proliferation of a TGF-beta-sensitive cell line (CCL64) in vitro was examined. The ability of hydrocortisone to inhibit a one-way mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) and the ability of epidermal cells to present soluble tumor-associated antigens (TAA) for elicitation of immunity in mice in the concentration range present in AH was also examined. RESULTS: Hydrocortisone was detected in mouse, rat, and human AH (10.8 +/- 1.1 ng/ml, 9.3 +/- 2.1 ng/ml, and 18.0 +/- 1.0 ng/ml, respectively; mean +/- SEM), as was corticosterone (2.7 +/- 0.9 ng/ml, 2.2 +/- 0.3 ng/ml, and 0.7 +/- 0.1 ng/ml, respectively). Whereas normal plasma contains a binding protein for corticosteroids (i.e., CBG), the concentration in mouse, rat, and human AH was less than the level detectable by an RIA. Hydrocortisone inhibited PHA/IL-1-stimulated murine thymocyte proliferation and CCL64 cell proliferation in the concentration range present in AH. When hydrocortisone was combined with TGF-beta 2 (125 pg/ml), the degree of inhibition observed was greater than with either alone. Corticosterone inhibited thymocyte costimulation only slightly at concentrations present in AH but was inhibitory for CCL64 cells. alpha-MSH was also detected in AH. The concentration present had only slight inhibitory effects for CCL64 cell proliferation and did not enhance TGF-beta 2-mediated (62 pg/ml to 250 pg/ml) inhibition of CCL64 or thymocyte proliferation. Hydrocortisone inhibited the one-way MLR in the concentration range present in AH and, at 10 ng/ml, inhibited the ability of epidermal cells to present TAA for elicitation of delayed-type hypersensitivity in tumor-immune mice. CONCLUSIONS: These results show that AH contains biologically relevant concentrations of glucocorticoids and that CBG is relatively absent so that glucocorticoids present are largely free, and they suggest that regional sites take advantage of the activities of multiple factors to maintain an immune-privileged status.
11-Hydroxycorticosteroids↗
Deficient antigen presentation by Langerhans cells from athymic (nu/nu) mice. Restoration with thymic transplantation or administration of cytokines.
Epidermal Langerhans cells (LC) are a unique subtype of I-A+ dendritic cells able to present Ag for CD4-dependent immune responses. To investigate whether cutaneous Ag presentation is regulated by thymic elements or soluble factors produced by thymus-derived cells, we compared LC function in athymic nude mice and euthymic normal controls. Examination of the ability of LC to present alloantigens to T cell-enriched responder populations, and insulin to an insulin-specific T cell hybridoma, demonstrated that this function is deficient in LC from inbred and outbred strains of congenitally athymic (nu/nu) mice compared with euthymic litter mates. Adoptive transfer of thymic tissue from euthymic to athymic mice reconstituted the ability of LC derived from athymic mice to present alloantigens. To investigate whether an altered local cytokine microenvironment was responsible for the diminished LC function in athymic mice, various cytokines were administered in vivo and in vitro before determination of alloantigen presentation by epidermal cells from athymic and euthymic mice. Continuous intraperitoneal infusion of granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) or TNF-alpha, but not IL-1 alpha or IL-2, restored alloantigen presenting ability in athymic LC. In vitro preincubation of LC in GM-CSF or TNF-alpha but not in other cytokines tested also reconstituted alloantigen presentation by LC from athymic mice in most, but not all, of the experiments performed. Furthermore, analysis of cytokine production by epidermal cells in athymic and euthymic mice revealed that epidermal cells from athymic mice produce less GM-CSF and more TNF-alpha, but normal amounts of various other cytokines. However, reconstitution of athymic mice with thymic tissue did not result in normalization of GM-CSF or TNF-alpha production by epidermal cells. These data suggest that LC Ag presenting ability is regulated by thymic factors and that adequate function of cutaneous APC in situ may require the continuous presence of sufficient amounts of cytokines including GM-CSF and TNF-alpha.
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Regulation of Langerhans cell function by nerves containing calcitonin gene-related peptide.
Several observations suggest interactions between the immune and nervous systems. Psoriasis and atopic dermatitis may worsen with anxiety and have been associated with anomalous neuropeptide regulation. Neurotransmitters affect lymphocyte function and lymphoid organs are innervated. Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) is a neuropeptide and vasodilator that modulates some macrophage functions, including antigen presentation in vitro. CGRP is associated with Langerhans cells (LC) in oesophageal mucosa, particularly during inflammation, is present in epidermal nerves and is associated with Merkel cells. We examined the ability of CGRP to modulate LC antigen-presenting function and asked if CGRP-containing nerves impinge on LC. We report here that CGRP-containing nerve fibres are intimately associated with LC in human epidermis and CGRP is found at the surface of some LC. In three functional assays CGRP inhibited LC antigen presentation. These findings indicate that CGRP may have immunomodulatory effects in vivo and suggest a locus of interaction between the nervous system and immunological function.
Adult↗
Tumor antigen presentation by epidermal antigen-presenting cells in the mouse: modulation by granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, tumor necrosis factor alpha, and ultraviolet radiation.
I-A+ epidermal antigen-presenting cells (APCs, Langerhans cells) have been shown to present tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) and to induce tumor immunity in vivo. This study examined the effects of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) and the cytokines granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) on the ability of epidermal cells (ECs) to induce or to elicit immunity against the murine spindle cell tumor S1509a. Naive syngeneic mice were immunized three times at weekly intervals with ECs that had been cultured in GM-CSF for 18 h and then pulsed with TAA derived from S1509a. This resulted in protective immunity against subsequent tumor challenge, providing a model to study the conditions required for sensitization against TAAs by epidermal APCs. Culture of ECs in GM-CSF was required for induction of significant protective tumor immunity, and UV irradiation or incubation in TNF-alpha for 2 h after GM-CSF incubation abrogated the immunostimulatory effect of GM-CSF. However, unlike UVR, TNF-alpha did not significantly inhibit the induction of immunity when ECs were exposed to TNF-alpha before overnight incubation in GM-CSF, together with GM-CSF, or after pulsing with TAA, and anti-TNF-alpha antibody treatment did not abrogate the effects of UVR on this system. Furthermore, TNF-alpha incubation of ECs augmented their ability to elicit delayed-type hypersensitivity (DTH) and also enhanced elicitation of DTH by GM-CSF-cultured ECs, whereas UV-irradiation reduced it in a dose-dependent fashion. Taken together, these results demonstrate that GM-CSF, TNF-alpha, and UVR are significant regulators of tumor antigen presentation by epidermal APCs and that the effects of the cytokines examined differ with regard to induction or elicitation of immunity.
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PUVA augments cyclosporine A-mediated rat cardiac allograft survival.
PUVA, the administration of the photosensitizer 8-methoxypsoralen (8-MOP) followed by exposure of the skin to longwave ultraviolet radiation (UVA, 320-400 nm), is employed clinically for the treatment of skin diseases. PUVA is immunosuppressive and we have shown previously that it can significantly prolong skin allograft survival. This enhanced survival is associated with reduced spleen cell cytotoxic activity against donor cell targets with preserved ability of treated animals to be immunized to third-party alloantigens 5 days after exposure to a course of PUVA. To examine whether PUVA may potentiate the effect of cyclosporine A (CYA) in inhibiting cardiac allograft rejection, we employed a rat cardiac transplant model. Lewis rats (RT1(1) received cardiac allografts at a heterotopic site from Lewis Brown Norwegian (RT1(1/n)) hybrid donors. Seventy animals were equally divided into 10 groups. Starting on the day of surgery, three groups received a suboptimal doses of CYA (1.5, 4.5, or 9.0 mg/kg im), three groups received the same doses of CYA and 1.0 mg/kg of 8-MOP injected ip followed by 6.35 J/cm2 of UVA radiation to their shaved dorsums (PUVA), one group received PUVA alone, one group received UVA radiation alone, one group received 8-MOP alone, and the final group received no treatment. Therapy was carried out daily for 7 days and survival of the allograft was assessed by daily palpation of the transplanted heart.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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Cyclosporin increases granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) activity and gene expression in murine keratinocytes.
Keratinocytes produce multiple cytokines in response to a variety of stimuli. The release of interleukin 1 (IL-1) from keratinocytes may be significant in initiation of cutaneous inflammation, and the presence of granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) is thought to be important in the regulation of antigen-presenting function by epidermal Langerhans cells. Because cyclosporin inhibits interleukin 2 release from T cells, it has been suggested that cyclosporin may function as an anti-inflammatory agent within the epidermis through inhibition of keratinocyte cytokine release. This investigation examined the direct effect of cyclosporin on the production of GM-CSF by murine keratinocytes and the keratinocyte cell line PAM 212. GM-CSF bioactivity increased in cell supernatants from keratinocytes exposed in vitro to 1 microgram/ml cyclosporin for up to 24 h. GM-CSF and IL-1 mRNA levels in keratinocytes cultured under similar conditions or in the presence of lipopolysaccharide also increased. The lack of inhibition of GM-CSF expression following cyclosporin treatment is consistent with recent observations in T cells and is opposite to the effect of cyclosporin on interleukin 2.
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