Cross-linking Fc receptors stimulate splenic non-B, non-T cells to secrete interleukin 4 and other lymphokines.

Spleen cell populations depleted of both B and T lymphocytes produce interleukin 4 (IL-4) in response to stimulation with immunoglobulins bound to the surface of culture dishes. In the presence of interleukin 3 (IL-3), plate-bound (PB) IgE and PB-IgG1, IgG2a, and IgG2b are excellent stimulants, whereas PB-IgA and PB-IgM fail to stimulate IL-4 production. In the absence of IL-3, PB-IgE stimulates relatively modest production of IL-4, whereas PB-IgG2a generally does not. The response to PB-IgE is inhibited by soluble IgE; antibody to Fc gamma receptor II inhibits the response to PB-IgG2a. Thus, separate receptors mediate these stimulations, and Fc receptor cross-linkage is required for IL-4 production. Depletion of cells expressing asialo-GM1 does not diminish IL-4 production in response to PB immunoglobulins, indicating that natural killer cells are not essential for non-B, non-T cell production of IL-4. In addition to IL-4, non-B, non-T cells produce IL-3, but no detectable interleukin 2 or interferon gamma. Non-B, non-T cells may be an important source of lymphokines in a variety of immune responses and may serve to amplify the effects of T cells of the TH2 type.