Interleukin-10 production by a B-cell line derived from human post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease

Interleukin-10 (IL-10) is a cytokine known to regulate growth and differentiation in activated human B cells. We studied IL-10 production in a B-cell line derived from Epstein-Barr virus associated post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD). Reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) demonstrated IL-10 mRNA within the cells. Transcripts of the virally encoded homologue BCRF-1 were not detected. ELISA assays demonstrated translation of IL-10 message into the corresponding cytokine, and its subsequent secretion into the culture medium. The rate of 3H-thymidine incorporation by the PTLD cells was not affected by immunologic neutralization of the secreted cytokine, or, by addition of exogenous recombinant IL-10 to the culture medium. Thus, IL-10 does not have an autocrine growth regulatory role in this PTLD line.