Regulation of murine T cell proliferation by B cell stimulatory factor-1.

The proliferation of mitogen-activated primary T cells, antigen-activated memory T cells from mixed leukocyte culture, and antigen-dependent alloreactive T cell clones in response to purified murine recombinant B cell stimulatory factor-1 (also known as interleukin 4) was examined. We found that B cell stimulatory factor-1 (BSF-1) stimulated optimal proliferation of these T cells only after their recent activation by antigen or mitogen. Analysis of cell surface BSF-1 receptor expression indicated that although T cell activation is accompanied by a small increase in BSF-1 receptor expression, the cells also express BSF-1 receptors prior to activation at a time when they do not proliferate in response to BSF-1. BSF-1 was as effective a stimulus as interleukin 2 for inducing proliferation of the Lyt-2+ subpopulation of concanavalin A-activated murine spleen cells and an alloreactive cytolytic T cell clone. However, the L3T4+ subpopulation of concanavalin A-activated spleen and an alloreactive helper T cell clone were less responsive to BSF-1 than to interleukin 2. Taken together, the data indicate an important role for BSF-1 in the regulation of normal T cell proliferation.