Macrophage activating factor is not identical with immune interferon or a factor inducing differentiation of mouse...

Conditioned media of mitogen- or antigen-stimulated spleen cells have been found to contain various lymphokines including macrophage activating factor (MAF), immune interferon (IFN-gamma) and a factor inducing differentiation of mouse myeloid leukemic M1 cells into macrophages and granulocytes (D-factor). We examined the properties and mutual relations of these lymphokines. Conditioned media of concanavalin A (Con A)-stimulated spleen cells and of purified protein derivative (PPD)-stimulated Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG)-immune spleen cells contained the activities of D-factor, MAF and IFN. These lymphokines were similarly eluted on Sephadex G-100 in a peak corresponding to a molecular weight of 40,000 approximately 60,000. However, a rapidly eluted fraction contained MAF but not activities of D-factor and IFN. Treatment of conditioned medium of Con A-stimulated spleen cells at pH 2 abolished the activities of MAF and IFN but did not affect the activity of D-factor. Moreover, addition of cytochalasin B suppressed the productions of MAF and IFN but not that of D-factor by Con A-stimulated spleen cells. Antiserum against mouse IFN-gamma neutralized IFN activity but not MAF activity in the conditioned medium of Con A-stimulated spleen cells. These results indicate that D-factor, MAF and IFN-gamma are all distinct substances.