Epidermal tissue-derived T-cell growth factor, colony stimulating factor and nerve growth factor in chickens

The purpose of this study was to determine the mechanism of the local cytok ine-mediated immune response in the skin of chickens. The incorporation of 3H-thymidine into spleen T lymphocytes from 9- to IO-week-old chickens was augmented by the addition of epidermal tissue culture supernatant (ESN) fro m Ii-day-old embryos. The colony formation of neonatal chicken bone marrow cells in methyl-cellulose medium was also significantly increased by additi on of ESN. When axonal outgrowth in matrigel was investigated, the embryona l sympathetic ganglion was found to grow axons outwards towards the epiderm al tissue specimens. The above results suggest that chicken epidermal cells (probably keratinocytes) produce T-cell growth factor (corresponding to IL -1), colony-stimulating factor for macrophages (M-CSF) and granulocytes (G- CSF), and nerve growth factor (NGF).