The role of the macrophage compartment in the toxicity of IL-18 plus IL-12.

SCID mice were partially depleted of macrophages by pretreatment with the F4/80 mAb (▵). Control mice were pretreated with injections of a control mAb (●). Mice that had been treated with F4/80 mAb also received daily IP injections of rmuIL-10 (5 μg) beginning 2 days prior to cytokine treatment.44 Mice in both groups subsequently received daily IP injections of IL-18 plus IL-12 and were monitored for survival. This experiment was repeated twice with similar results.