The effect of human cytomegalovirus on the production and biologic action of interleukin-1

The effect of mycoplasma-free human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) on the production and bio-logic activity of interleukin-1 (IL-1) from peripheral blood monocytes was examined. The use ofbiologic thymocyte assays revealed a time-dependent decrease in the IL-1 activity ofboth HCM¥-challenged and control monocytes after initiation of culture. A decrease in the amount of IL-1(3 secreted as measured by ELISA was also detected. The amount of IL-1(3 secreted by HCMV-challenged cells was always greater than that produced by control cultures at similar times. De-spite containing higher levels of IL-1(3, supernatants from challenged cells were markedly less effective in supporting thymocyte proliferation. It is proposed that this is due to the concomitant production of an inhibitor of IL-1 activity from HCM\'-challenged monocyte cultures. A variety of cell types produce interleukin-l (lL-l), a poly-peptide with a diverse range of biologic activities [1, 2] that influence development and inflammatory and immune re-sponses [3]. The production of a bioactive molecule such as IL-l is expected to be subject to strict regulation, allowing for its physiologic effect to be exerted only as appropriate