Production of the second component of complement by human monocytes: stimulation by antigen-activated lymphocytes or lymphokines.

Human peripheral blood mononuclear cells cultured in the presence of antigen produced hemolytically active second complement component earlier and in larger amounts than did control cultures of the same cells without antigen. The increased amount of C2 in culture supernates came primarily from the adherent cell population and was due to increased synthesis as demonstrated by inhibition with 10(-4) M cycloheximide. Purified adherent monocytes produced more C2 when exposed to lymphokine-rich supernates from antigen-stimulated lymphocytes than when exposed to control supernates from unstimulated lymphocyte cultures. The increased synthesis of C2, which appeared to be mediated by a lymphokine, was partially inhibited specifically by 0.025 M alpha-L(-) fucose, a sugar which has previously been shown in inhibit the response of macrophages to migration inhibitory factor.