This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Denis, M Articles by Gregg, E O Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Denis, M Articles by Gregg, E O

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Infect Immun. 1991 May; 59(5): 1853-1856

Interleukin-2 and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor stimulate growth of a virulent strain of Escherichia coli.

Bioscience 1, ICI Pharmaceuticals, Mereside, Macclesfield, Cheshire, England.

ABSTRACT

The effect of human recombinant interleukin-2 (IL-2) and human recombinant granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor on the growth of a virulent strain of Escherichia coli in tissue culture medium and in untreated, normal mouse serum was investigated. Both of these cytokines enhanced the growth of the microorganism two- to threefold in tissue culture medium with or without additional fetal calf serum and in untreated mouse serum. IL-4 did not have any effect on the growth of this microbe under the conditions tested. That the enhancement of growth seen with recombinant IL-2 was due to the active cytokine was shown by the following data: (i) addition of an antibody to IL-2 abrogated the growth-promoting effect; (ii) the excipient buffer, which contained everything except the active cytokine, was inactive in modifying bacterial growth; and (iii) heat-inactivated recombinant IL-2 did not promote enhanced microbial growth. The enhancement of growth with IL-2 was significant with concentrations as low as 1 U/ml. Growth of an avirulent strain of E. coli was not stimulated by IL-2. Moreover, addition of IL-2 to growth virulent E. coli in tissue culture medium led to rapid removal of the cytokine from the medium. Collectively, these data suggest that cytokines may act as growth factors for some virulent bacteria.

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Lee, J.-H., Del Sorbo, L., Khine, A. A., de Azavedo, J., Low, D. E., Bell, D., Uhlig, S., Slutsky, A. S., Zhang, H. (2003). Modulation of Bacterial Growth by Tumor Necrosis Factor-{alpha} In Vitro and In Vivo. Am. J. Respir. Crit. Care Med. 168: 1462-1470 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Burton, C. L., Chhabra, S. R., Swift, S., Baldwin, T. J., Withers, H., Hill, S. J., Williams, P. (2002). The Growth Response of Escherichia coli to Neurotransmitters and Related Catecholamine Drugs Requires a Functional Enterobactin Biosynthesis and Uptake System. Infect. Immun. 70: 5913-5923 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Meduri, G. U., Kanangat, S., Bronze, M., Patterson, D. R., Meduri, C. U., Pak, C., Tolley, E. A., Schaberg, D. R. (2001). Effects of Methylprednisolone on Intracellular Bacterial Growth. CVI 8: 1156-1163 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Anguita, J., Thomas, V., Samanta, S., Persinski, R., Hernanz, C., Barthold, S. W., Fikrig, E. (2001). Borrelia burgdorferi-Induced Inflammation Facilitates Spirochete Adaptation and Variable Major Protein-Like Sequence Locus Recombination. J. Immunol. 167: 3383-3390 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Asahara, T., Nomoto, K., Watanuki, M., Yokokura, T. (2001). Antimicrobial Activity of Intraurethrally Administered Probiotic Lactobacillus casei in a Murine Model of Escherichia coli Urinary Tract Infection. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 45: 1751-1760 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Kanangat, S., Meduri, G. U., Tolley, E. A., Patterson, D. R., Meduri, C. U., Pak, C., Griffin, J. P., Bronze, M. S., Schaberg, D. R. (1999). Effects of Cytokines and Endotoxin on the Intracellular Growth of Bacteria. Infect. Immun. 67: 2834-2840 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Cauwels, A., Frei, K., Sansano, S., Fearns, C., Ulevitch, R., Zimmerli, W., Landmann, R. (1999). The Origin and Function of Soluble CD14 in Experimental Bacterial Meningitis. J. Immunol. 162: 4762-4772 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Wilson, M., Seymour, R., Henderson, B. (1998). Bacterial Perturbation of Cytokine Networks. Infect. Immun. 66: 2401-2409 [Full Text]  
• Held, T. K., Mielke, M. E.A., Chedid, M., Unger, M., Trautmann, M., Huhn, D., Cross, A. S. (1998). Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor Worsens the Outcome of Experimental Klebsiella pneumoniae Pneumonia Through Direct Interaction With the Bacteria. Blood 91: 2525-2535 [Abstract] [Full Text]