Activation of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells by interleukin-2 and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor to inhibit Cryptococcus neoformans.

The abilities of selected cytokines to activate human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) to inhibit and kill the opportunistic fungus Cryptococcus neoformans were studied. PBMC were cultured for 7 days in cell wells containing no cytokines, tumor necrosis factor (TNF), gamma interferon (IFN-gamma), 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol (vitamin D3), granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), or interleukin-2 (IL-2) and were then challenged for 24 h with a fixed number of CFU of C. neoformans. The number of CFU increased in wells containing no cytokines, TNF, IFN-gamma, or vitamin D3 and remained about the same in wells containing GM-CSF. In contrast, the number of CFU in wells containing IL-2-stimulated PBMC decreased, suggesting fungicidal activity. Optimal conditions for IL-2 stimulation included a minimum of 5 days of incubation of PBMC with IL-2, a concentration of 100 U of IL-2 per ml, and a high ratio of effectors to fungi. Separation of IL-2-stimulated PBMC based upon their adherence to plastic revealed that antifungal activity resided in the nonadherent fraction. These data demonstrate that IL-2 and GM-CSF are capable of stimulating PBMC-mediated antifungal activity and suggest that these cytokines may play physiological or pharmacological roles in host defenses against cryptococcosis.