Clearance of interleukin 2 from the blood of normal and T cell-depleted mice.

Partially purified, concentrated interleukin 2 (IL 2) was injected i.v. into normal and T cell-depleted mice. At various times after injection IL 2 was determined in the sera of these mice. An interference with the test by a potential inhibitor of IL 2 in the serum was excluded. Il 2 was cleared equally rapidly, with a half-life of 3 min, from the blood of both groups of mice. It is concluded that IL 2 is a short-range mediator under physiological conditions, and that clearance was not due to adsorption to T cells.