Production of an immune suppressor factor by Marek's disease lymphoblastoid cell lines

Culture fluids from Marek's disease (MD) lymphoblastoid cell lines have suppressive activity against normal and mitogen-stimulated chicken spleen and bursal cells and also against the homologous cell lines. Suppressive activity was also present in supernatants from spleen cells infected in vitro with MD virus. The suppressor factor from MD cell lines was non-sedimentable, trypsin sensitive, heat resistant and partially dialysable. Preliminary studies suggest it has a molecular weight of 20,000 daltons. Studies were also conducted on the effect of the prostaglandin inhibitors indomethacin and aspirin on the production and action of the suppressor factor. At low concentrations they have a stimulatory effect on the cell lines suggesting that they inhibit the effects of suppressor factor; however only small amounts of prostaglandin E2 were present in supernatants. Evidence was obtained that the suppressor factor may act indirectly by stimulating the production of prostaglandin by spleen cell cultures. The role of a suppressor factor in the immunosuppression observed in MD is discussed.