INTERLEUKIN-4 PRODUCTION IN EPSTEIN-BARR VIRUS-TRANSFORMED B-CELL LINES FROM PERIPHERAL MONONUCLEAR-CELLS OF PATIENTS WITH ATOPIC-DERMATITIS

Interleukin-4 (IL-4) is known as an immunomodulatory cytokine secreted by relatively few cell types, for example, activated T lymphocytes, b asophils, and mast cells, but slot by B cells, It plays an important r ole in promoting the production of the IIE antibody. We established Ep stein-Barr virus (EBV)-positive B cell lines from peripheral blood mon onuclear cells of patients with atopic dermatitis (AD) and tested the production of several cytokines in the cell lines, We found that IL-4 was produced in a cell line, OB, by an IL-4-specific enzyme-linked imm unosorbent assay. IL-4 mRNA was detected in OB and two other AD-derive d cell lines by IL-4-specific reverse transcription-polymerase chain r eaction, IgE was also produced by the OB cells, The production of IL-4 and IgE was enhanced in the cells treated with 12-O-tetradecanoyl pho rbol-13-acetate. This is the first evidence that IL-4 is produced by a n EBV-transformed B cell line.