Calorimetry: a highly sensitive technique for evaluating the effect of IL-2, IFN-gamma and IL-10 on the response of peripheral blood mononuclear cells

We report the application of a calorimetric method for evaluating the metab olic response of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) either from S. m ansoni infected patients or from normal subjects under stimulation with ant igen or with cytokines. Our results demonstrate that the antigenic stimulat ion of the PBMC with soluble adult worm antigenic preparation (SWAP) was ab le to discriminate PBMC from infected and non-infected donors, based on cal orimetric cell reactivity. The total heat release in the stimulation of PBM C with interleukin 2 (IL-2) or gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) was greater for PBMC from infected patients than normal subjects. The activation of the re lease heat in PBMC induced by IFN-gamma, IL-2 or antigen (SWAP) was inhibit ed by pretreatment of PBMC with interleukin 10 (IL-10). However, this inhib ition mediated by IL-10 could be promptly reversed by pretreatment of IL-10 with its respective anti-IL-10 monoclonal antibody. Our present results ex tend the use of the calorimetric assay and suggest its application for stud ying cellular reactivity in basic and applied immunological systems. (C) 19 99 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.