Profile of cytokine production in mixed kidney lymphocyte culture

Abstract Kidney cells are an important source of immunoregulatory molecules that regulate cell‐to‐cell interactions, which is the key step in the generation of the immunoresponse to alloantigens. In this study we identified the cytokines that are produced by both lymphoid cells and kidney cells when coincubated in mixed kidney lymphocyte cultures (MKLC). The capacity of kidney cells to stimulate the proliferation of effector allogeneic lymphocytes was assayed by incubating irradiated kidney cells and lymphocyte. The cytokine secretion profile in MKLC was investigated by incubating monolayers of kidney cells with effector peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). The culture supernatants were harvested on days 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8 and assayed for IL‐1β, IL‐2, IL‐6, and TNF alpha using an ELISA. Kidney cells, in comparison to PBMC stimulator cells were poor stimulators of the allo‐proliferation even when HLA expression was increased by IFN gamma treatment. Compared to lymphocyte or kidney cells incubated alone, MKLC induced a considerable stimulation of cytokine production. This increase in cytokine production was observed essentially for IL‐2 and IL‐6 (at day 3, a 10‐fold increase in IL‐2 and a 5‐fold increase in IL‐6). This study provided evidence that target kidney cells and effector lymphocyte interactions generate a number of cytokines such as IL‐11, IL‐2, IL‐6, or TNF alpha. These cytokines are known to modulate alloproliferation and generation of cytotoxic J lymphocytes (CTL). Copyright © 1994, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved