Modulation of human lymphocyte proliferation by normal bovine vitreous

A heat stable antiangiogenic protein (Bovine Vitreal Protein or BVP) isolated from normal bovine vitreous and known to inhibit growth of endothelial and smooth muscle cells was studied for its in vitro effect on human lymphocyte proliferation. Unheated BVP inhibited lymphoproliferation in 12 normal, healthy donors in response to tetanus toxoid (TT) and to Concanavalin A (Con A), but had little effect on responses to irradiated allogeneic peripheral blood mononuclear leucocytes (PBML) or Pokeweed mitogen (PWM). In contrast, heated (95 degrees C/10 min) BVP strongly inhibited (more than 50%) proliferative responses to allogeneic cells, TT, and Con A, and strongly augmented responses to PWM.