Interleukin‐6 signaling requires only few IL‐6 molecules: Relation to physiological concentrations of extracellular IL‐6

Abstract Introduction The aim of this study was to give quantitative insight into the number of cytokine molecules needed to activate a target cell and relate this to the physiological consequences of the amounts of cytokines typically detectable in humans. As a model system blood interleukin‐6 (IL‐...

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Main Author: Morten B. Hansen
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2020-06-01
Series:Immunity, Inflammation and Disease
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/iid3.292
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author Morten B. Hansen
author_facet Morten B. Hansen
author_sort Morten B. Hansen
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Introduction The aim of this study was to give quantitative insight into the number of cytokine molecules needed to activate a target cell and relate this to the physiological consequences of the amounts of cytokines typically detectable in humans. As a model system blood interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) was chosen since this cytokine is one of the most studied and clinically monitored cytokines, and because of the tools for the present investigations such as fully bioactive iodinated recombinant IL‐6, cellular cytokine binding assays, and bioassays have been thoroughly validated. Methods The key intermediates of the basic equilibrium principles that govern cytokine binding and exchange were deduced and applied on concrete estimations of cellular and extracellular IL‐6 binding in the bloodstream based on experimental binding data and data from the literature. In parallel, in vitro cellular IL‐6 binding data was substantiated by paired measurements of IL‐6 bioactivity on IL‐6 sensitive B9 hybridoma cells. Results Blood leucocytes and B9 cells expressed 50 to 300, 10 to 20 picomolar affinity, IL‐6 binding sites per cell and at physiological concentrations of IL‐6 less than 10 IL‐6 molecules seemed to be bound to blood cells. Nonetheless, binding off as few as four IL‐6 molecules per cell seemed to result in statistically significant bioactivity, whereas binding of 16 IL‐6 molecules triggered extensive cellular responses. Conclusion Together, the estimations and the measurements support the notion that target cells with more than 100 bioactive cytokine receptors per cell, such as T cells and hepatocytes, are likely to be under steady and substantial cytokine‐induced endocrine activation.
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spelling doaj.art-23ee0424e3ce473c9545a676c175adc22022-12-22T00:27:56ZengWileyImmunity, Inflammation and Disease2050-45272020-06-018217018010.1002/iid3.292Interleukin‐6 signaling requires only few IL‐6 molecules: Relation to physiological concentrations of extracellular IL‐6Morten B. Hansen0Department of Clinical Immunology Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen University Hospital Copenhagen DenmarkAbstract Introduction The aim of this study was to give quantitative insight into the number of cytokine molecules needed to activate a target cell and relate this to the physiological consequences of the amounts of cytokines typically detectable in humans. As a model system blood interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) was chosen since this cytokine is one of the most studied and clinically monitored cytokines, and because of the tools for the present investigations such as fully bioactive iodinated recombinant IL‐6, cellular cytokine binding assays, and bioassays have been thoroughly validated. Methods The key intermediates of the basic equilibrium principles that govern cytokine binding and exchange were deduced and applied on concrete estimations of cellular and extracellular IL‐6 binding in the bloodstream based on experimental binding data and data from the literature. In parallel, in vitro cellular IL‐6 binding data was substantiated by paired measurements of IL‐6 bioactivity on IL‐6 sensitive B9 hybridoma cells. Results Blood leucocytes and B9 cells expressed 50 to 300, 10 to 20 picomolar affinity, IL‐6 binding sites per cell and at physiological concentrations of IL‐6 less than 10 IL‐6 molecules seemed to be bound to blood cells. Nonetheless, binding off as few as four IL‐6 molecules per cell seemed to result in statistically significant bioactivity, whereas binding of 16 IL‐6 molecules triggered extensive cellular responses. Conclusion Together, the estimations and the measurements support the notion that target cells with more than 100 bioactive cytokine receptors per cell, such as T cells and hepatocytes, are likely to be under steady and substantial cytokine‐induced endocrine activation.https://doi.org/10.1002/iid3.292bioactivitycytokinesIL‐6interleukinsreceptor occupancy
spellingShingle Morten B. Hansen
Interleukin‐6 signaling requires only few IL‐6 molecules: Relation to physiological concentrations of extracellular IL‐6
Immunity, Inflammation and Disease
bioactivity
cytokines
IL‐6
interleukins
receptor occupancy
title Interleukin‐6 signaling requires only few IL‐6 molecules: Relation to physiological concentrations of extracellular IL‐6
title_full Interleukin‐6 signaling requires only few IL‐6 molecules: Relation to physiological concentrations of extracellular IL‐6
title_fullStr Interleukin‐6 signaling requires only few IL‐6 molecules: Relation to physiological concentrations of extracellular IL‐6
title_full_unstemmed Interleukin‐6 signaling requires only few IL‐6 molecules: Relation to physiological concentrations of extracellular IL‐6
title_short Interleukin‐6 signaling requires only few IL‐6 molecules: Relation to physiological concentrations of extracellular IL‐6
title_sort interleukin 6 signaling requires only few il 6 molecules relation to physiological concentrations of extracellular il 6
topic bioactivity
cytokines
IL‐6
interleukins
receptor occupancy
url https://doi.org/10.1002/iid3.292
work_keys_str_mv AT mortenbhansen interleukin6signalingrequiresonlyfewil6moleculesrelationtophysiologicalconcentrationsofextracellularil6