Measurement of interleukin 3 and other hematopoietic cytokines, such as GM-CSF, G-CSF, M-CSF, erythropoietin, steel factor, and Flt-3 ligand

Abstract

Detection and quantitation of IL-3 and other hematopoietic cytokines in serum samples and culture supernatants has played an important role in understanding their function and pleiotropic properties during the process of hematopoiesis. Several methods for detecting and quantitating cytokines--such as the colony-stimulating factors granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF, also called CSF-1), interleukin 3 (IL-3), and erythropoietin (Epo), as well as two potent costimulating cytokines steel factor (SLF) and Flt3/Flk-2 ligand (Flt3-L)--are described in this unit.