IL 1-like activities present in murine amniotic fluid. A significantly larger amount of IL 1 beta-like activity is present in the amniotic fluid of autoimmune NZB mice.

Rapid progress in studies of cytokines have clarified their roles in processes of lymphocyte proliferation and differentiation. However, the involvement of these molecules in lymphopoiesis during embryonic development has not yet been well documented. In this study we screened for possible existence of cytokines that influence lymphopoiesis in murine amniotic fluid (AF) obtained from non-autoimmune prone "normal" strains of mice (CBA/J, BALB/c, A/J, SWR, and C57B/6) and autoimmune-prone NZB mice. Significant colony stimulating activity-1 (CSA-1)-like activities were found in AF of all of the strains tested, but relatively low activities were present in AF of NZB mice. No interleukin 2 (IL 2) or interleukin 3 (IL 3)-like activities were detected, Weak IL 1-like activity was found in AF of most of the strains tested; however, the results of the standard thymocyte proliferation assays varied with each AF sample. This variation is probably related to the presence of nonspecific inhibitors including alpha-fetoprotein in murine AF. Therefore, pooled AF from CBA and NZB strains of mice were subjected to several purification procedures to assess the actual amount of IL 1-like activity present in murine AF. After (NH4)2SO4 precipitation and hydrophobic phenyl-Sepharose chromatography, the measurable level of IL 1-like activity could be increased significantly. With lentil-lectin affinity chromatography, IL 1-like activity was completely dissociated from CSA-like activity. Moreover, a significantly larger amount of IL 1-like activity was found in NZB AF fractions (approximately sixfold higher). Apparent pI values estimated by preparative isoelectric focusing (IEF) were 5.9, 7.2, and 7.4 in CBA AF fractions, and 6.5 and 7.3 in NZB AF fractions. The NZB AF fraction with pI of 7.3 showed significantly higher IL 1 activity than the other fractions studied. These partially purified molecules were found to be resistant to pH 2 and the reducing agent, 2-mercaptoethanol, but were inactivated by heat (56 degrees C, 1 hr) or trypsin. None of the fractions showed IL 2-like activity but some that had IL 1-like activity induced IL 2 production in a IL 1-dependent, IL 2-producing B lymphoma cell line. Apparent m.w. of these IL 1-like activities were 14,000, 14,500, 17,000, 18,000, and 21,000 in CBA AF fractions, and 15,000, 19,000, and 21,000 in NZB AF fractions according to SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)