Characterization of the cytotoxin produced by macrophages in response to dengue virus-induced cytotoxic factor.

We have observed earlier that dengue type 2 virus-induced cytotoxic factor (CF) induces macrophages to produce a cytotoxin (CF2) which kills mainly the macrophages, some of the T lymphocytes and has no effect on B-lymphocytes of normal mouse spleen. The findings of the present study show that CF2 is heat-labile, trypsin-sensitive and unstable at acid and alkaline pH. It is a low molecular weight product as it is dialysable, non-sedimentable on ultracentrifugation at 103,500 g for 3 h and passes through 0.22 micron Millipore filter. It is adsorbed onto the target normal mouse spleen cells. The properties of CF and CF2 have been compared.