HISTAMINE RELEASE INHIBITORY FACTOR AND PREPARATIONS THEREFORE

Abstract: The present invention relates to a novel inhibitor of histamine release, designed HRIF which is believed to represent a promising therapeutic agent for treatment of basophil and mast cell dependent disorders, including allergic diseases. This inhibitor is a human cytokine that antagonizes a human histamine releasing cytokine(s) designated HRF. HRIF has a molecular weight of about 8,000 to 10,000 daltons as determined by gel exclusion chromatography and has also been purified by ion exchange chromatography. HRIF is stable when heated at 60 DEG C for one hour, when frozen and thawed four times, and when treated with neuraminidase. Treatment with trypsin or chymotrypsin substantially destroys the activity of HRIF. The present invention includes compositions comprising substantially purified HRIF as well as methods for HRIF production and use. The invention also includes HRIF-producing cell lines and methods for producing such cell lines.

Description: HISTAMINE RELEASE INHIBITORY FACTOR AND PREPARATIONS THEREOF The Government may have rights in this invention pursuant to National Institute of Health Grant Number AI-22940. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A. FIELD OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a novel inhibitor of allergic reactions, designated histamine release inhibitory factor (HRIF) . This factor inhibits release of allergic mediators from basophils and mast cells triggered by histamine releasing factors (HRF) now believed to play a key role in the development of asthma and other allergic disorders. This factor is likely to prove useful as an inhibitor of allergic disorders and other human diseases in which basophils and mast cells may have a pathologic role. B. DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART Basophils and mast cells have been the subjects of scientific investigation since they were described by Paul Ehrlich in the 1870s. Mast cells are generally found in connective tissue; basophils, in the blood. The two cell types have many similarities. Both contain numerous metachromatically staining granules, both have cell surface receptors that bind IgE with high affinity, and both contain a myriad of diverse allergic mediators that can cause symptoms ranging from itching of the skin to the most life-threatening clinical situation, Z anaphylaxis. Basophils and mast cells collectively account for virtually all of the total body histamine and are collectively referred to as histamine-containing proallergic cells. There is convincing evidence that mast cells and basophils are essential for induction of allergic hypersensitivity reactions. For example, substantial evidence suggests that mast cells are the primary effector cell of such allergic diseases as asthma, allergic rhinitis, conjunctivitis, urticaria and anaphylaxis. Increased numbers of mast cells have been found in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, respiratory mucosa, nasal mucosa, and biopsy specimens of urticarial lesions in these disorders. In addition, mast cell mediators, such as histamine and prostaglandin (PG) D ? , have been recovered from serum, bronchoalveolar lavage fluid, nasal washings, and skin blister fluid during natural and provoked allergic reactions. More recently, the mast cell granule-specific enzyme tryptase (not found in basophils) has been detected in serum from patients with allergic and anaphylactoid reactions. Finally, most mast cell-derived mediators, alone or in combination, can evoke such typical allergic symptoms as bronchospasm, angioedema, cough, mucus secretion, rhinorrhea, sneezing, and wheal-and-flare skin reactions and mast cell-specific degranulating agents can induce allergic reactions i vivo. In addition, histologic evidence suggests that mast cells are involved in the pathogenesis of a number of chronic inflammatory diseases. Increased numbers of mast cells have been detected in biopsy specimens from patients with rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, sarcoidosis, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, pulmonary fibrosis, nasal polyps, atopic dermatitis, allergic contact dermatitis, bullous pemphigoid, keloid formation, scleroderma and progressive systemic sclerosis, acute and chronic graft vs. host disease, and parasitic infestation. Mast cells also have been implicated in regulation of nerve growth, and regulation of mast cell degranulation has proved useful in neurofibromatosis. Furthermore, increased levels of histamine were detected in the bronchoalveolar lavage fluid from patients with sarcoidosis, hypersensitivity pneumonitis, and idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Cromolyn sodium, a putative.mast cell stabilizer, has been found beneficial to a subgroup of patients with ulcerative colitis, particularly those with proctitis. Basophils appear to be particularly involved in some forms of allergic contact dermatitis, especially to poison ivy and, experimentally, to dinitrochlorobenzene. These cells represent 5% to 15% of the total infiltrating cells and are present within eight hours after application of the allergen to the skin. Given the number of inflammatory mediators released by mast cells and basophils, it is conceivable that sustained piecemeal degranulation of these cells contributes to the chronic inflammatory nature of the aforementioned disorders. Unfortunately, despite the convincing evidence linking mast cells and basophils to these and other disease states, the precise pathogenesis of mast cell and basophil dependent disorders, including allergic disease, is incompletely understood. For example, it is known that mast cells and basophils are stimulated to release histamine, leukotrienes, and other inflammatory mediators by the bridging of cell surface-bound IgE antibodies by appropriate allergens (or anti-IgE antibodies), but the severity of a number of allergic diseases, for example bronchial asthma, rhinitis, and conjunctivitis, does not correlate with a patient's IgE level. Moreover, although mast cells are believed to play a role in various other diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, pulmonary fibrosis, and sarcoidosis, in the majority of these diseases, IgE antibody cannot be found. Therefore, it appears that other mechanisms of allergic mediator release play a critical role in pathogenesis of allergic diseases and other disorders mentioned above in which basophils and mast cells have been implicated. Elucidation of such mechanisms has been and remains the goal of many skilled medical scientists. One of the most exciting developments in this area was the discovery of histamine releasing activity (HRA) , cytokines designated herein as histamine releasing factor(s) (HRF), by investigators working in the laboratories of the present inventors. Thueson, et al., (J. Immunol., 123:626 (1979); J. Immunol., 123:633 (1979)) and Lett-Brown, et al., (Cell Immunol. , 87:434 (1984); Cell Immunol. , 87:445 (1984)) first reported that antigen or itogen stimulated human mononuclear cells secrete a proteinaceous factor that induces release of histamine from basophils and mast cells. Other laboratories then confirmed the synthesis of HRF by mononuclear cells. It has now been shown that HRF is also synthesized by B-lymphocytes and T-lymphocytes, alveolar macrophages, platelets, neutrophils, and blood monocytes cultured in " vitro. The wide variety of cell types reported to secrete HRF suggests that it has considerable biologic importance. In addition to mediating histamine release, HRF has been shown to induce secretion of leukotrienes and to be chemotactic for basophils and monocytes. (For a review, see Grant, et al. f Fed. Proc, 45:2653 (1986), J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. , 77:407 (1986), and Alam, Insights in Allergy, Vol. 2, no. 6 (1987), CV Mosby, St. Louis, all incorp¬ orated herein by reference.) Numerous studies provide data directly supporting the importance of HRF as a mediator of human allergic disease. For example, an HRF-like material has been obtained from skin blister fluid obtained during the late allergic reaction, now considered an important factor in the pathogenesis of chronic asthma and other allergic conditions. HRF has also been recovered in nasal washings. In addition, HRF induces bronchoconstriction on inhalation by asthmatic subjects and a wheal-and-flare reaction in humans and non-human primates. Mononuclear cells from asthmatic patients have been shown to spontaneously produce relatively large amounts of HRF, and HRF production is enhanced on in vitro incubation with specific allergen. Moreover, the magnitude of spontaneous HRF production correlates with the severity of bronchial hyperreactivity in asthmatic patients [Alam, et al., J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. , 79:103 (1987)]. These findings suggest that in asthmatic patients, increased spontaneous HRF production may cause a sustained release of allergic mediators from mast cells or basophils, resulting in chronic inflammation and ultimately leading to the development of bronchial hyperreactivity. In addition, although immunotherapy is a well accepted modality for treating allergic diseases, the mechanism of its action is still obscure. Changes in serum IgE antibody do not correlate well with the efficacy of immunotherapy. Serum IgG blocking antibody usually rises after prolonged treatment. Although some investigators have shown a correlation between the efficacy of immunotherapy and the level of IgG antibody, the correlation is often too tenuous to imply a casual relationship. Recently, however, one of the present inventors has discovered that immunotherapy .abrogates the seasonal rise in HRF production and diminishes spontaneous HRF production in patients with clinical improvements. Thus, there is a high correlation between symptom-medication score and spontaneous HRF production (r=0.92, p=0.0002). Given the important role played by HRF in the pathogenesis of allergic diseases and other disorders including the release of mediators from basophils and mast cells, it is likely that an agent capable of inhibiting HRF-induced mediator release could provide a valuable tool in treating mast cell/basophil-dependent disorders, which include the allergic diseases. However, despite the need for such an agent, no endogenous substance capable of inhibiting HRF induced histamine release from human mast cells and basophils has heretofore been described. Fortunately, the present inventors have now discovered a histamine release inhibitory factor having the desired properties. This factor, its production and properties, are discussed in the present disclosure. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is a general object of the present invention to provide an inhibitor of histamine releasing factor. It is also an object of the present invention -to provide -a specific factor capable of inhibiting release of histamine from mast cells or basophils triggered with histamine releasing factor. It is also an object of the present invention to provide methods for producing such histamine release inhibitory factors, cell lines capable of producing such factors, and to describe the substantial purification of this factor. Therefore, in a broad and general sense, the present invention provides a substantially purified histamine release inhibitory factor designated "HRIF." HRIF is produced by human cells and inhibits the activity of histamine releasing factor; thus, in one embodiment, it is described as an antagonist of histamine releasing factor. An additional embodiment is directed to a substantially purified histamine release inhibitory factor wherein the factor comprises a substantially purified human histamine release inhibitory factor having the following characteristics: a molecular weight of about 8,000-10,000 daltons as determined by gel exclusion chromatography; lability upon treatment with trypsin or chymotrypsin; stability when heated at 60°C. for one hour; and stability when treated with neuraminidase. The invention further provides a composition comprising a substantially purified proteinaceous factor, said factor exhibiting biologic properties that S include inhibition of allergic mediator release from human basophils or human mast cells triggered with histamine releasing factor. A composition that includes this factor may be further characterized by physiochemical and biologic characteristics. For example, thε factor may be further defined as having molecular weight of about 8,000-10,000 daltons as determined by gel exclusion chromatography, or, as binding to DEAE cellulose equilibrated with about 1 mM phosphate buffer at about pH 7.4, and being eluted with about 100 mM to 200 mM NaCl at about pH 7.4. In addition, the factor may be characterized by its stability or lability to various treatments. For example, in various embodiments the factor is defined as having biologic properties including lability of allergic mediator release inhibitory activity upon treatment with trypsin or chymotrypsin, or as having biologic properties including stability of allergic mediator release inhibitory activity when treated with neuraminidase, or when heated at 60°C. for one hour. Finally, the factor may also be defined as being retained by spectrapor-3 dialysis tubing having a molecular weight cut-off of about 3,500 daltons. Additionally, the factor may be defined by its pattern or specificity of inhibitory activity when basophils or mast cells are triggered with particular agonists or secretagogues known to induce allergic mediator release under conditions known to those of skill in the art. Of course, the factor is generally defined as being capable of inhibiting mediator release from cells triggered with HRF. In addition, the factor may be more particularly defined as not inhibiting allergic mediator release from cells triggered with allergen, antibodies specific for IgE, concanavalin A, phorbol myristate acetate, or the anaphylatoxin C5a. An additional specific embodiment is directed toward inhibition of release of a particular allergic mediator, histamine. As those of skill in the art are aware, basophils and mast cells contain a number of other allergic mediators, such as leukotrienes. The term "allergic mediators" is intended to encompass these compounds. However, the experiments described herein have been performed using histamine as a prototypic mediator. Therefore, a specific embodiment is directed towards a composition specifically characterized as inhibiting histamine release. The invention also comprises a substantially purified proteinaceous factor exhibiting biologic properties which include inhibition of allergic mediator release from human basophils or human mast cells triggered with histamine releasing factor, wherein said factor is obtained by the process of preparing a human mononuclear cell conditioned supernatant, fractionating the supernatant to provide a fraction which includes the factor in substantially purified form, and collecting the fraction. In a more particular embodiment, the conditioned cell supernatant is prepared by obtaining a mononuclear cell fraction of leukocytes from an individual, culturing the mononuclear cell fraction in an appropriate medium to produce a conditioned supernatant, and separating the supernatant from the cultured cells. In an even more particular embodiment, the leukocytes are obtained from peripheral blood. However, it is believed that leukocytes from other sources, such as spleen cells, thoracic duct cells, or lymph-node cells, including cells obtained from ιύ tonsillar lymph nodes, may be used. Of course, where peripheral blood is used as a leukocyte source, fractionation, for example, by centrifugation over a Ficoll-Hypaque gradient, may be necessary to obtain the mononuclear fraction. In an additional preferred embodiment, the conditioned supernatant is fractionated into protein fractions of selected molecular weight ranges to provide a fraction which includes the protein in substantially purified form. And, in a yet further embodiment, the fraction is selected by assaying various fractions for the ability to inhibit histamine release from human basophils or human mast cells triggered with histamine releasing factor. Finally, in additional highly preferred embodiments, the mononuclear cells are cultured in a tissue culture medium containing histamine, and the factor is defined as a human factor. In addition, the factor is also synthesized by human mononuclear cells cultured with mitogens such as concanavalin A or with antigens causing human allergic sensitivity, such as ragweed pollen or dust mite allergenic extracts. The invention also encompasses compositions comprising substantially purified proteinaceous factors corresponding biologically to histamine release inhibitory factor produced by cell line J -RW. Of course, as those of skill in the art will appreciate, a factor that corresponds biologically to the histamine release inhibitory factor produced by a certain cell line need not actually be produced by that line; it need only have the relevant biologic activities of the factor produced by the line. Therefore, in an additional embodiment, the composition comprises a substantially // purified proteinaceous histamine release inhibitory factor actually produced by cell line JW-RW. In addition, the invention encompasses cell lines producing histamine release inhibitory factor corresponding to that produced by cell line JW-RW, and to a human cell line JW-RW. The invention also provides a method for inhibiting release of an allergic mediator from human histamine containing proallergic cells by exposing such cells to the proteinaceous factor described above. In a more specific embodiment, the allergic mediator is specifically defined as being histamine. In addition, the invention provides anti-allergic preparations, and preparations useful in the treatment of other disorders in which the release of mediators from basophils and mast cells is causal of pathologic symptomatology. In general, these preparations contain a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and a substantially purified histamine release inhibitory factor. Methods for treating allergic individuals and others with illnesses caused by activation of basophils and mast cells comprising administering to such individuals a therapeutically acceptable dosage of the preparation are also provided as specific embodiments. The invention also encompasses methods for producing histamine release inhibitory factor and for producing human histamine release inhibitory factor- producing cell lines. In general, the first method comprises preparing a human mononuclear cell conditioned supernatant and assaying it for the histamine release inhibitory activity. Of course, in a more preferred embodiment, the culture medium contains histamine, IZ preferably at concentration from about 10 M to 10 ~ M, but histamine is substantially removed from the conditioned supernatant prior to assay. In yet a further embodiment, the fractionated supernatant is assayed on a cell suspension containing human basophils or human mast cells exposed to histamine releasing factor. The second method, directed to thε genεration of histamine release inhibitory factor producing cell lines, comprisεs obtaining lεukocytεs from an individual, culturing thε cεlls in a suitablε tissuε culture medium containing an antigen, maintaining the cells in a culture medium containing interleukin-2 and feeder cells, and assaying the cultured cεlls for thε ability to producε a histamine release inhibitory factor. In a preferred embodimεnt, thε individual that serves as the leukocyte source will be an individual undergoing immunotherapy for an allergic disordεr and the allergen added to the culture will correspond to an antigenic component of the preparation used for immunotherapy. In another preferred embodimεnt, the cells used to start the cell line will be enriched for antigen-binding T cells prior to placing in culture. Finally, the invention also εncompasses clinical assays adapted for monitoring or diagnosing individuals. One such assay comprises obtaining a mononuclear cell fraction of leukocytes from an individual and culturing the mononuclear cell fraction in a suitable culture medium to produce a conditioned supernatant. The conditioned supernatant is then assayed for histamine release inhibitory activity. Of course, in the clinical setting, it will often be desirablε to compare the amount of histamine releasε inhibitor produced by the Iδ patient cells to a standard preparation containing a known amount of histamine release inhibitory activity. In general, it is believed that this assay will be most useful in monitoring patients with allergic diseases, particularly patients undergoing immunotherapy. However, the assay is likely to find considerable utility in monitoring ail disease states wherein allergic mediator release from basophils or mast cells is associated with pathogenesis of thε diseasε. The invention also provides a clinical assay wherein biological fluids such as whole blood or components, respiratory secretions or washings, urine, joint fluid, and other body fluids are assayed for the presence of histamine rεlεase inhibitory activity. It is believed that absolute levels of the factor in these fluids will correlate with diseasε activity. The above noted and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the detailed description of the prefεrrεd εmbodimεnts described below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 — Effect of culturε of mononuclear cells with histamine upon thε activity of HRF of the supernatants. Mononuclear cells were from 15 healthy donors which were cultured alone or in the presεnce of histamine (10 M) for 24 hours. Supernatants wεre extensively dialyzed to remove histamine and tested for histamine releasing activity in the basophil histamine release test. Unsti ulated mononuclear cell supernatant showed HRF activity and this activity was suppressεd in i - 12 supernatants when the cells were cultured with histamine. This suggested that histamine might reduce the synthesis HRF or preferentially stimulate the production- of an inhibitor, • -•. .. FIG. 2 — Production of HRIF by human mononuclear cells (MNC) . MNC from six- healthy donors werε cultured in RPMI either alone (• •) or in the presεnce of _Q histamine (10 M) (o o) for 24 hours. Culture supernatant was harvested by centrifugation, dialyzed twice against 1000 volumes of water and 100 volumes of HCM buffer in order to remove histamine and then tested for inhibition of HRF-induced histaminε rεlεasε from basophils obtained from three allergic donors. HRF- induced histamine rεlease rangεd from 25-44%. Data are expressed as X +. S.E.M. ϋnstimulated mononuclεar cells cultured in RPMI spontaneously produced some HRIF and this production was significantly enhancεd in thε presence of histamine (*:P<0.001, t test). Histamine culturεd without MNC (ED □) had no inhibitory activity. This εxperiment was rεpεated with mononuclear cells from 10 donors but using a narrower rangε of dilutions. Similar results were obtained: inhibition of histamine relεase by histamine-stimulatεd supernatants rangεd from 40-80i ! S FIG. 3 — Dose-dependent production of HRIF by mononuclear cells from five healthy donors stimulated with various concεntrations of histamine. Dialyzed supernatants (1:6 final dilution) were testεd for inhibition of HRF-inducεd histaminε relεasε from basophils obtainεd from two allεrgic donors. HRF- induced histamine releasε rangεd from 33-40%. FIG. 4 — Effect of preincubation period of cells upon the activity of HRIF. Basophil leukocytes were preincubated with HRIF (fifteen fold concentrated histamine stimulated supernatant), (o o) for 40-60 seconds, 3, 5, and 10 minutes at room temperature and then challenged with HRF. 3uffer {* *) was used in the control experiments. Maximum inhibition was seen when the cells werε preincubated with HRIF for five minutes or more. Results are X+ S.E.M of six experiments. Control histamine release ranged from 18- 30%. FIG. 5 — Effect of removal of HRIF after preincubation upon HRF-induced histamine releasε from basophils. Leukocytes were preincubated with HRIF for ten minutes then centrifugεd and washed twice against 40 volumes of buffεr and thεn challεnged with HRF. The inhibition of histamine release was compared with HRIF- treated cells that were not washed prior to adding HRF. Controls (not shown) included preincubation of cells in buffer followed by washing and HRF challengε. Thε percentage of histamine relεase was identical to cells that were not washed. In another sεt of experimεnts, HRIF was preincubated with HRF for ten minutes and then cells were added. Therε was no inhibition of histaminε release in these experiments. Results (X+. S.E.M) of six experiments are shown. Control histamine relεasε by HRF was in the range of 20-38%. FIG. 6A — Histamine release inhibitory activity of recombinant interleukins 1, 2, and 4 and gamma- interferon. Leukocytes werε separately preincubated with HRIF, interlεukins and intεrfεron (50, 250, and 500 units per ml) for five minutes and then challengεd with HRF, Results (XiS.E.M) of six experiments (for gamma- intεrfεron n=4) arε shown. Nona of these cytokines inhibited HRF-induced histamine relεase from basophils. Control histamine release by HRF rangεd from 20-34%. FIG. 5B — Leukocytes were isolated from venous blood obtained from δ normal subjects and preincubatεd with five log concentrations of IL 1, 2, 3 and 4, tumor necrosis factor, GM-colony stimulating factor and gamma-intεrfεron for 5 min. Thε cεlls wεre then challenged with a batch of HRF and incubated for another 30 min. and then analyzed for histamine rεleasε. In thε control εxpεriments, leukocytes were preincubatεd with HRIF-containing MNC-supεrnatant or buffεr. The control histamine releasε by HRF in thε prεsence of buffer was in the range of 25-55%. FIG. 7 — Sephadex G-50 superfine gel chromatography of histamine-(7A) and concanavalin A- stimulated (7B and C) MNC supernatant. For FIG. 7A and 7B, fifteen fold concentratεd supεrnatant (2 ml) was appliεd to a column (90 cm X 1.5 cm) that was precalibrated with marker proteins. One milliliter fractions were collected and every third fraction was tested at a dilution 1:3 for inhibition of HRF-induced HR from basophils. HRIF activity (• •) of histamine-sti ulated supernatant appeared in the fractions which corresponded to the MW range 8K-10K. A small peak of HRF (o- - -o) was found in the 15K-30K range. This experiment was repeatεd twicε and a similar elution profile of HRIF was noted. Thε invεntors also performed gel filtration of concanavalin A-stimulated mononuclear cell supεrnatant from hεalthy donors. HRIF activity was detected in the region which corresponded π to MW 8K-10K whereas HRF activity appeared in the void volume (MW >30K) and in the MW range 15K-30K. This experiment was repeated twice and similar results were obtained. Control histamine release ranged from 26-48%, FIG, 7C — Twenty-fold concentrated supernatant (2 ml) was applied to a column (90 cm x 1.5 cm) that was precalibrated with marker proteins. One milliliter fractions were collected, and every other fraction was tested for direct histamine release (o) and for the inhibition of HRF-induced histamine release {-•) from basophils. This profile of HRIF activity has beεn observed in 1 of 3 MNC donors. FIG. 8 — Chromatography of concanavalin A- stimulated MNC supernatant on DEAE (DE-52) cellulose. Supernatant fluid was dialyzεd against 1 mM phosphatε buffer,- pH 7.4. Approximatεly 1.0 gm of dry gel was combined with 10 ml of dialyzed supernatant and gently rocked at 4°C. for 15 hours. A column was packed with the gel and two volumes of the same buffer passed through the column. Subsequently the column was eluted with a linear gradient from 1 mM to 500 mM NaCl in 1 mM phosphate buffer, pH 7.4. The total volume of the gradient was about 40 ml and 2 ml fractions were collectεd. Fractions wεrε dialyzεd against HCM buffεr and assayεd for HRIF. HRIF was eluted from the column at approximately 100 mM NaCl. FIG. 8A — Anion exchange high performance liquid Chromatography of HRIF. FIG. 8B — Sizε exclusion HPLC of MNC-derived HRIF. FIG. 9 — Ξffεct of histaminε sti ulated- ononuclear cell supernatants upon histamine release by HRF, ragweed allergen (10 w/v), anti-IgE (1:10000), concanavalin A (Con. A, 10 ug per ml) and phorbol myristatε acetate (PMA, 10 ng per ml), and C5a (1:100). Basophils from ragweεd-sensitive donors were preincubated with HRIF-containing supernatant (final dilution of 1:6) for five minutes, and thεn challengεd with various agonists. Results (X+S.E.M) from six expεriments are shown in the figure. HRIF significantly inhibited HRF-inducεd histamine releasε but failεd to affect histamine rεlεase by allergen, anti-IgE, concanavalin A, PMA, and C5a. FIG. 10 — Production of HRIF by MNC obtained from allergic patients without (10A) or with (10B) immunotherapy. Five symptomatic allergic patiεnts who had never received immunotherapy and 8 allergic patiεnts who wεre being treatεd with immunothεrapy at maintεnance doses were studied. MNC werε isolatεd and culturεd with histamine (10 ~8 M) as describεd in FIG. 2. HRIF activity was dεterminεd at a dilution of 1:6 using HRF- inducεd histamine relεase. Control histamine release ranged from 20% to 44%. Cells from threε out of fivε of the untreated group failed to rεlease HRIF, whεreas the treated group synthesized HRIF in the range of normal subjects (depicted in FIG. 2) For FIG. 10C, which shows a comparison of HRIF production from cells of healthy subjects, allergic patients, and allergic patients on immunotherapy experiments were performεd as described in Example III. FIG. 11 — HRIF-inducεd inhibition of histamine release from bronchoalveolar mast cells isolated from lavage fluid. Lavage cells were washed and preincubated with histamine-stimulated MNC supernatant and then challenged with HRF. Results are expressed as percεnt inhibition of histamine release. HRF-induced histamine release was 18% in experiment 1 and 38% in experiment 2. FIG. 12 — Unconcentrated Broncheolar Lavage (BAL) samples were tested for the inhibition of HRF-induced histamine release using basophils from two allergic donors and one healthy subject. The control histamine release by HRF in the inhibition assay was in the range of 20-40%. FIG. 13 — Effect of dialysis on the inhibition of histaminε releasε by BAL fluids. Samples of BAL fluids obtained from normal subjects and asthmatic patients were dialyzed overnight against buffer using Spectrapor dialysis membranes (MW cut-off 3,500) and then tested again for the inhibition of HRF-induced histamine release from basophils obtained from a healthy subjεct. The control histamine relεasε was in the range of 25- 40%. FIG. 14 — Dose-depεndent inhibition of HRF-induced histamine release by samples of dialyzed BAL fluids. Basophils from a hεalthy subjεct were preincubatεd with dilutions of thrεε different dialyzed BAL samples and then challenged with HRF. The control histamine rεlease in this experimεnt was 25%. 2.0 FIG. 15 — Effect of undialyzεd (ϋ) and dialyzεd (D) BAL fluids on thε histamine release by FMLP, anti- IgE and Con A. Basophils from a normal subject were preincubated with samples of 3AL fluids and then challenged with anti-IgE (dilution 10 -4), Con A (15 ug/ l) and FMLP (10 D M) . Control histamine releasε by thε sεcretagogoues was in the range of 20-50%. FIG. 16 — Gel-filtration profilε of a concentrated BAL sample. BAL fluid from a normal subject was concentrated 33x and 3 ml sample was applied to a column containing Sephadex G-50. Fractions were screened for HRIF activity using basophils from a normal subject. Similar elution profile was seen in three separata experiments. FIG. 17 — Effect of lactic acid treatmεnt of basophils on BAL-HRF-induced histamine release. Basophils isolated from an allergic asthmatic patient (Panel A and B) were treated with lactic acid for 3.5 min and then washed and rεsεnsitizεd with either serum from another allergic asthmatic patient (BW) or a normal subject (RA) . The cεlls wεre then challengεd with concεntrated samples of BAL (Panel A) or anti-IgE (Panel B). In another set of εxperiments, basophils from an atopic asymptomatic subjεct wεre treatεd similarly as dεscribεd abovε and thεn rεsεnsitized with the allergic or normal sεru (Panel C) . The cεlls were subsequently challenged with a sample of concentrated BAL. FIG. 18 — Dose response of inhibition of basophil histamine relεase by supernatant from two cell lines (A-MLB and A-RA) . Both cell lines originated from mononuclear cells stimulated with specific antigen (dust mite) and were maintained in defined medium (20% conditioned medium containing T-cell growth factor obtained from Cellular Products, Inc.) and 10% fetal calf serum in RPMI). Dialyzed culture supernatant at various dilutions was tested for inhibition of HRF- induced histamine rεleasε from basophils as dεscribεd εarliεr. Control histamine relεase was 20%. The modest inhibitory effεct of conditionεd medium and 10% fetal calf serum is also shown, ϋnfortunatεly, thεsε two cell lines were lost due to contamination. FIG. 19 — Time course of production of HRIF (• •) and HRF (o o) by cell line JW-RW. Mononuclear cells from a patient on immunotherapy with ragweed pollen were isolated on Ficoll-Hypaque gradient, resuspended in RPMI-1640 plus glutamine, pεnicillin, streptomycin plus 15% heat inactivated fetal calf serum, and stimulated with ragweεd antigen for two weeks at 37°C. in Corning 25 square cm tissue culture flasks. The cells were subsequently reculturεd in frεsh mεdium containing 10 units per ml human recombinant interleukin 2 (rIL-2) and mitomycin C treated heterologous feεder cells. During the third and sixth weεks of culturε, thε cells were restimulatεd with ragwεεd pollen. FIG. 20 — Time course of production of HRIF (• •) and HRF (o o) by cell line WP-RW. Mononuclεar cεlls from a patient on immunotherapy with ragweed pollen extracts were isolated as in FIG. 13 except that antigen-binding T cells were enriched by rosetting with AET-treated sheep red blood cells and panning on a ragweed-coated Petri dish. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The present invention describes the identification of a human cytokine designatε as histaminε relεase inhibitory factor (HRIF) - As discussed in more detail below, this anti-allergic cytokine is a proteinaceous factor capable of inhibiting HRF-mediated release of allergic mediators from human- histamine containing proallergic cells. For the purposes of the present invention, a histamine containing proallergic cell may be definεd as a cell of the immune system that contains histamine. The investigations leading to the discovery of the prεsεnt invεntion were directed toward detεrmining whether leukocytεs producε activε substancεs that inhibit allergic reactions. In earlier experiments, several of the present inventors had discoverεd a factor(s) (termed "HRF") that causes the release of histamine and leukotrienes from basophils and mast cells. By the present disclosure, the inventors now report the discovery of a new anti-allergic cytokine (HRIF) capable of inhibiting the εffεcts of HRF. Specific inhibition of HRF by HRIF is believed to represent an important physiologic mechanism for regulating rεlεasε of allergic mediators from basophils and mast cells, and HRIF produced in vivo may represεnt a critical εndogεnous inhibitor of allεrgic sensitivity, Administration of exogεnous HRIF is εxpected to prove useful in the treatment of asthma, other allergic diseases, and disorders whεrε mast cεlls and basophils are thought involvεd with pathogεnεsis. HRIF may be particularly useful sincε it can be produced by human cells and may bε better toleratεd by humans than non- human drugs and substances. In addition, blood, serum 3 and other biological fluid levels of this cytokine, or the synthesis of HRIF by blood cells in. vitro, arε likely to correlate with clinical status, and provide the basis for development of clinical assays (such as immunoassays) useful for monitoring patients before and after immunotherapy, Therefore, in accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a substantially purified human histamine release inhibitory factor. This factor may be generally defined as an antagonist of HRF; that is, the factor is able to inhibit the effεcts of HRF; for example, HRF-induced histamine release. In accordance with an additional aspεct of thε invεntion, thεre is provided a composition comprising a substantially purified protεinacεous factor exhibiting biologic properties that include inhibition of allergic mediator release from human mast cells or basophils triggered with HRF. Of course, although thε factor claimed in this embodiment is describεd as a protεinaceous factor, those of skill in the biological arts will understand that this terminology does not mandatε that thε factor consist εntirεly of protein. Indeed, many biologically active substances comprise a protein chemically linked to another type of compound, for example, a carbohydrate or lipid moiety. Those of skill in the art should understand that the term "proteinaceous" is intended to include such compounds as glycoproteins, lipoproteins, and so forth. Moreover, those of skill in the art will also appreciate that mast cells and basophils contain a * number of enzymes and pharmacologic agents, including histamine and leukotrienεs, that are generally referred to as allergic mediators. HRF has previously been shown to mediate release of at least two of these mediators, histamine and leukotriεnεs. {See, Ezea uzie and Assem, Agents Actions, 1 ,:222 (1983), incorporated herεin by referencε.) Although thε precise biologic mechanism whereby HRIF exεrts its activity is not completely understood, it is believεd to countεract thε εffεcts inducεd by HRF. Thεrεfore, while the present inventors have chosen a histamine rεlεasε assay in ordεr to dεmonstratε the anti-allergic activity of the compound of the present invention, it is likely that the compound inhibits release of other mediators, e.g. the leukotrienes, whose relεase is also induced by triggering thε rεlevant cells with HRF. Of course, it should be pointed out that, as histaminε is itself a potent allergic mediator, possession of an ability to inhibit HRF-induced histamine relεase is entirely sufficient to place a proteinacεous factor within thε claims of thε prεsεnt invεntion. Finally, thε protεinacεous factor is charactεrizεd in that it inhibits allεrgic mεdiator rεlεase from human mast cells or basophils "triggered with" histamine releasing factor. Although the term "triggered with" is believed to be self-εxplanatory to thosε skillεd in thε art, a short dεfinition may assist thosε not so skillεd in undεrstanding thε invεntion. "Triggering" is a term of art used to describe treatment of basophils or mast cells so as to induce relεase of allergic mediators. Generally speaking, a cell is "triggered with" an agent when it is treated with that agent under conditions that normally induce mast cells or basophils to release allergic mediators such as histamine. This rεlease may -a 5 occur with an explosive degranulation or through non- cytotoxic secretion of certain mediators. All that is required is that the cells release an allergic mediator when "triggered with" (exposed to) the particular agent in question. It should also be appreciated that triggering can occur experimentally in the laboratory or clinically in vivo. Of course, thε prεsεnt invεntion providεs a factor which inhibits allεrgic mediator releasε and it may seem paradoxical to some to say that cells are "triggered with" an agent when allergic mediator release is actually inhibited. For the purposes of the present invention, the term "triggered with" an agent is defined as meaning exposed to the agent in such a mannεr as to inducε histamine or allergic mediator release under conditions wherε rεlease is obtained in thε absεncε of an affective amount of such an inhibitor. The present inventors have shown the histamine release inhibitory factor of the present invention can be characterizεd as having a molεcular weight of betwεεn about 8,000-10,000 daltons as determinεd by gεl exclusion chromatography. Moreover, in some experiments, a second speciεs having a molecular weight of about 20,000 to 30,000 daltons has beεn obsεrvεd. Each of thεsε spεciεs is considεrεd to rεpresent an embodiment within the scope of the presεnt invention. Of course, it will be appreciated by those of skill in thε art that gεl filtration chromatography doεs not provide an exact molecular weight determination, rather, it provides a molecular weight based on the position at which the relεvant inhibitory activity elutes from a sizing gel relative to the position at which markεrs of known molecular weight εlute. Thereforε, although this molεcular wεight dεtεrmination is bεlieved to be 2: reasonably accurate, the molecular weight of the actual proteinaceous factor of thε present invention may vary- somewhat depεnding on experimental conditions used, for example, exclusion limit of the gel, column size, and the particular gεl filtration methodology utilized. Of course, other methods for determining molεcular weight, such as gel elεctrophoresis or high pressurε liquid chromatography, exist. It will also be appreciated, therεforε, that using diffaring mεasurεment conditions, the molecular weight of HRIF may vary somewhat. The factor is further defined as being retained by a dialysis membrane having about a 3,500 molecular weight "cut-off." (This means that the dialysis mεmbranε is gεnεrally impermeable to moleculεs having a molεcular weight greater than about 3,500 daltons.) It has also beεn obsεrved that the factor may bε substantially purifiεd by ion exchange chromatography. For example, the present inventors have shown that unlike HRF, HRIF binds to DEAE cellulosε (DE-52) (an ion exchange resin) equilibrated with 1 mM phosphate buffer, pH 7.4. The activity can be eluted from the gel with about 100 mM to 200 mM NaCl in the samε buffεr. Various other characteristics of the factor have also been identified. For example, inhibition of allergic mediator relεasε is significantly lowered when preparations containing the anti-allergic factor are treated with trypsin or chymotrypsin, enzymes known to cleave protein molecules at specific points. Therefore, one characteristic of the factor is lability of anti¬ allergic activity to chymotrypsin or trypsin treatment. The term "lability," as used herein, is definεd as thε loss of substantial biological activity following thε indicated treatment as defined by the presεnt disclosurε, whilε the term "stability," as used herein, is defined as the retention of substantial biologic activity following the indicated treatmεnt. The composition of the present invention may be further defined as exhibiting biologic stability following treatment with neuraminidase, or heat treatment at 60°C. for one hour, or freεzing and thawing four times. The factor has been compared with sevεral othεr human biological factors commonly referred to as "cytokines." When directly compared with commercially- availablε preparations of recombinant interleukins 1, 2, and 4 and of gamma-intεrfεron 3, tumor necrosis factor and GM colony stimulating factor, it was discovered that only histamine releasε inhibitory factor could block thε release of histamine from basophils triggered by histamine releasing factor. The factor described in this invention is further distinguished from the aforemεntioned cytokines (interleukins 1, 2, and 4 and gamma-interferon) in that one species has a lower apparent molecular weight, namεly 8,000 to 10,000 daltons as determined by gel exclusion chromatography. It has been pointed out that the histaminε rεlεase inhibitory factor of the present invention appears to be fairly specific. When basophils or mast cells are treated with a composition comprising this factor, then triggεred with histamine releasing factor, histamine release is significantly inhibited. That is, the histamine release from the factor trεatεd cells is significantly lower than the histaminε rεlεasε observed when the cells are trεatεd with HRF alonε. Howεver, the present inventors have observεd that when cells are treated with HRIF, then triggerεd with othεr agents known to induce relεase of allεrgic mεdiators, such as allergen, anti-IgE (where IgE is bound to Fc receptors on the cell surface) , concanavalin A, phorbol myris ate acetate, or C5a, no inhibition of histamine releasε is obsεrvεd. Thεrefore, the proteinaceous factor of the present invention is generally defined as inhibiting histamine release otherwise induced by triggering cells with histamine releasing factor, More specific εmbodiments relate to the failurε of thε factor to inhibit histamine release induced by the other specific secretagoguεs tεsted. However, as those of skill in the art will rεcognize, there are a number of agents known to mεdiate histamine release not tεsted by the prεsent inventors, for example, compound 48/80, calcium ionophore A23187, eosinophil-dεrived major basic protein, neurotransmitters such as substance P, glycosylation enhancing factor, etc., and it is quite possible- that the factor of the present invention may inhibit histamine relεase induced by those agents. Therεforε, Applicants' discussion of thε rεlativε specificity of the anti-allergic factor should not be interpreted to mean absolute specificity since the factor of the present invention has not beεn tested with all possible agεnts that triggεr histaminε rεlεasε. Certainly, a compound having the characteristics of the compound of the present invention, but shown to inhibit histamine release induced by an additional agent not tested by the present inventors, would fall within the scopε of the present invention. Additionally, it should be pointed out that a number of cytokines have been shown to have multiple biological functions. Thereforε, othεr biological activitiεs of HRIF that may bε identified subsequently will be encompassed by this invεntion. 2-q The composition of the prεsent invention may bε prepared by culture of mononuclear cells under certain conditions or by devεlopment of a particular cell line which may be shown to produce the factor. The present inventors have prepared the factor in both ways.-'- •• In general, preparation from short term cultures of mononuclear cells appears to be the most feasible at the present time. This procedure genεrally comprisεs isolating lεukocytεs from an individual, obtaining a mononuclεar call fraction of thε leukocyte preparation, and culturing the cells in a suitable medium to produce a conditioned supernatant. This conditioned supernatant may thεn itself be used as a source of HRIF or, it may be subsequently fractionated to produce a substantially purified prεparation. Due to their ready availability, peripheral blood leukocytes are preferrεd as a leukocyte source. However, as those of skill in the art will appreciate, various other leukocyte preparations may be usεd as well. For example, human splenocytes arε also likely to provide an acceptablε source of the leukocytes, as are human mononuclear cells derived from thoracic duct drainage, lymph-node biopsy, tonsillar lymph-node biopsy, and so forth. In- general, particularly when peripheral blood is used as a source of leukocytεs, it is desirable to fractionate the peripheral blood prior to culture to obtain a mononuclear cell fraction, definεd hεrεin as a cεll suspension comprising predominantly mononuclear cells. This is most readily accomplished by centrifuging thε cεlls through a gradient of Ficoll-Hypaque according to the procεdure described by Boyum in Scand. J. Clin. Lab. Invest., 21:suppl. no. 97, p. 77 (1968). Of course, other methods known to those of skill in the art, for example, flow cyto etric cell sorting, counterflow centrifugal elutriation, positive or negativε selection using monoclonal antibodies to cell surface markers, or Percoll gradient centrifugation may also be used to prepare a mononuclear call fraction. In addition, some sources of human ieukocytεs, such as lymph nodes, may inherεntly contain a prεdominantly mononuclear cell fraction so that procedures like those describεd abovε arε not rεquirεd. For εxample, lymph nodε cells may be tεased from the lymph node, washed in a suitable buffer, and directly introduced into culture, while splenocytes may simply be treatεd to substantially remove red blood cells, washed in a suitable buffer, and then directly introduced into culturε. However, where peripheral blood cells are used as a source of the leukocytes, it is prefεrrεd that the mononuclear call fraction be prepared by Ficoll-Hypaque cεntrifugation as previously described. Once a mononuclεar cεll fraction is obtainεd, it is thεn cultured in a suitable mεdium to producε a conditioned supεrnatant. A preferred medium is RPMI- 1640 supplεmented with 10 mM Hεpεs buffεr, 4 mM glutaminε, 5 x 10 M 2-mercaptoethanol, and various antibiotics, such as. pεnicillin and streptomycin. Of course, those of skill in the art will recognize that a number of tissue culture mediums suitable for culture of human lymphoid cells εxist (for εxamplε. Eagle's minimal essential medium, Dulbecco's modifiεd mεdium, or Iscove's modifiεd medium, etc.) and substitution of one tissue culture medium for another is considered to be well within the skill of the art. In genεral, bεst results are obtained when the cells are cultured for a period of 24 hours at 37°C. in a humidified incubator containing 5% CO_. The present inventors have found that the optimal density of cells introduced into the culture to be 3 X 10 per ml. Of course, those of skill in the art may find that cεrtain culturε conditions may be modified somεwhat without significantly affecting factor production. For example, it may be possible to culture cells at a higher density for a shorter period of timε, or convεrsεly, to culture cells at a lowεr dεnsity for a longεr pεriod of timε. Such modifications are considered to be well within the scopε of thε prεsεnt invεntion. The presεnt invεntors havε clεarly discovεrεd, howεvεr, that addition of histamine to the culture medium significantly increases the allergic mediator release inhibitory activity of the conditioned supεrnatant. For this rεason, it is especially preferred that histamine, preferably at a concentration of betwεεn about 10 to 10 M, bε incorporatεd into the culture mεdium. Although thε prεcise mechanism wherεby histamine increases HRIF production is not completεly understood, it is possible that histamine may prefεrεntially induce the synthesis of HRIF, while decreasing the synthesis of HRF. The synthesis of HRIF is also increasεd whεn MNC arε cultured in thε prεsence of mitogens (specifically concanavalin A) or allergens (for example, dust mite or ragweεd pollεn allεrgenic extracts). In the lattεr case, the cells cultured with allergens should come from allergic donors. It is anticipatεd that synthεsis of HRIF would also bε obtained by culturing cells with other mitogens and allergεns. Aftεr the cells have bεen cultured for the requisite period of time, a conditioned supernatant is then prepared from the cell culture. The conditionεd supεrnatant is quite simple to prepare and may be prepared in a number of ways. An extremely simple method for preparing the cultured supernatant is allowing the cultured cells to settle to the bottom of a culture vessεl and then removing the liquid remaining above the cells. Aiternativεly, the cell suspension may be centrifuged, the cεlls pelleted, and the conditioned supernatant decanted. Although conditioned supernatant produced as described abovε has bεεn consistently shown to contain HRIF activity, in some cases, it may be desirable to fractionate the supernatant to obtain a fraction which includes thε factor in a morε purifiεd form. Of coursε, whεre the supernatant is derivεd from a call culture containing added histamine, it is important to substantially reducε thε concentration of histamine in the supernatant so that it will not interfere with the histaminε rεlease assay used to detect histamine release inhibitory factor. Therεfore, it will often be desirable to use a procedurε to substantially remove histamine from the culture supεrnatants, particularly where such culture supernatant is not fractionated by procedures which would themselves separate the anti¬ allergic factor from histamine. This is most simply achieved by dialyzing the culture supernatant as described in Example I below. The supernatant may then be fractionatεd to producε a substantially purified preparation of HRIF. A preferred method for fractionating the supernatant comprises fractionation on the basis of molεcular weight. A number of techniquεs for fractionating proteins on the basis of molecular wεight arε known to those of skill in the art and may, in some cases, be used.. Howevεr, in many cases, it will bε desirable that the protein fraction isolated retain biological activity. Therefore, as a general matter, it is preferred that the f actionation procedure not require denaturation of the proteinaceous factor. For this reason, gel exclusion chromatography is a generally preferred purification method. Of course, those of skill in the art will recognize that a number of suitable gels may be used to purify proteinaceous molecules. The present inventors have discovered that chromatography over a Sephadex G-50 superfine gel is an acceptable procedure for fractionating the supernatant to provide a HRIF enriched fraction. Alternatively, the supεrnatant may be fractionated by ion exchangε chromatography. Undεr thε εxpεrimental conditions used (1 mM phosphatε buffer, pH 7.4), HRIF was bound to DEAE (DE-52) cellulose and was elutεd from the resin with about 100 mM to 200 mM NaCl in the same buffer. Of course, it will be recognized that, with hindsight provided by thε prεsεnt invεntors 1 discovεry, other resins, binding buffers, and εlution buffεrs could also bε usεd to fractionatε a conditionεd supεrnatant containing HRIF so as to producε a fraction containing HRIF that is substantially purifiεd away from thε other factors likely to be prεsεnt in thε supεrnatant. For example, the inventors havε shown that HPLC ion εxchangε chromatography is also suitablε for purifying thε factor. The selected cell supernatant or fractions therεof are then testεd for histaminε rεlεasε inhibitory activity. In general, this procedure utilizes cεll preparations enriched for basophils or mast cells from human donors. Thesε cεlls may be isolated according to known procedures. For example, wherε basophils are used as the test cells, cell preparations enrichεd for basophils may be prepared from peripheral blood by sedimentation with hydroxyethyl starch according to the procedure describεd by Thuεson, εt al., J. Immunol. , 123:626 (1979). Mast cells may be obtained by bronchoalveolar lavage of subjects with bronchial asthma essentially as described by Bernstεin, εt al., in J. Allergy Clin. Immunol., 76:145 (1985). The presεnt invεntors havε also obsεrvεd that HRIF can bε rεcovεred in broncheolar lavagε fluid and is more readily detected in fluids from normal subjects than in those with bronchial asthma. This finding supports the physiologic role of HRIF in prεvεnting dεvεlopmεnt of allεrgic disorders such as bronchial asthma. The actual assay for the histamine release inhibitory factor is describεd below. In genεral, cells are first exposεd to an aliquot of εither a control buffer or an aliquot of thε supεrnatant or supεrnatant fraction to bε tεstεd. Thε cεlls arε thεn triggεrεd with HRF undεr standardizεd εxpεrimεntal conditions which havε prεviously bεεn shown suitablε for measuring HRF induced histamine relεasε. For example, seε Thueson, et al., J. Immunol., 123:626 and 633 (1979). The amount of histamine rεlεasεd by thε two sεts of samples is then determined by known procedures (see Siraganian, J. Immunol. Methods, 7:283 (1975) and Verburg, et al.. Life Sciεncεs, 32:2855 (1983)) and inhibition of histamine releasε is calculated as described in Example I. Of course, as indicated above, the isolation of HRF from a number of sources has beεn prεviously described. While it may be likely that these other sources of HRF may succεssfully be used in the above assay with possible routine modifications of experimεntal conditions, the present inventors have successfully used HRF prepared as described in Example I. Accordingly, this preparation of HRF is preferred for use in the assay. In addition to describing isolation of HRIF from human mononuclear cell cultures, the present inventors have also produced sevεral human cell lines that produce the factor. Sevεral procedures have beεn used to generate these cell lines. For example, in one case, two HRIF producing cell lines wεrε produced by ' stimulating mononuclear cells from allergic patients on immunotherapy with specific allergens and maintaining the cells in defined medium containing T-cεll growth r factor as wall as mitomycin-treated heterologous feeder cells. In a more prefεrrεd protocol, thε mononuclεar cells are isolated from patients on immunotheraphy and restimulated in vitro with at least one antigenic componεnt of thε immunothεrapεutic suspεnsion used to treat the particular patiεnt. This in vitro stimulation is continuεd for approximatεly two wεεks. Thεrεaftεr, the cells may be maintained by culturing with human recombinant interlεukin-2 and mitomycin-trεatεd fεεdεr cells. In a preferred procedure, the cells are restimulated on two more occasions by antigen. In a third procedurε, antigen-binding T cells are isolated from mononuclear cells by rosetting with AET-trεated sheep red blood cells and panning the cells with allergen-coated Petri dishεs, essentially as describεd by Pellegrino, et al., Clin. Immunol. Immunopath. , 3:324 (1975) and Taniguchi and Miller, J. Exp. Med., 146:1450 (1977). Subsεquεntly thε cεlls are stimulated ok periodically with specific allergen and maintained with interleukin-2 and feeder cells. These procedures are describεd in more detail in Example V. Since the anti-allergic factor of the--present invention is likely to be used primarily as a therapeutic agent for treatment of allergic disease, the invention also encompasses methods for inhibiting release of allergic mediators from human basophils or human mast cεlls by εxposing thε cεlls to a composition comprising an affective amount of the factor. This amount may be empirically determined in the laboratory by procedures similar to those describεd in Example I by clinical trial, and by other mεans known to those of skill in the art. Of course, the composition of the present invention may also be formulated with a suitablε pharmacεutical εxcipient or carrier to prεpare an anti-allergic preparation. Suitable carriers may include, but are not limited to, human sεrum albumin and mannitol, and othεr -carriers well-known to those of skill in the pharmacεutical arts. Thε composition may also consist of prεsεrvativεs such as phεnol and thimεrosal. Finally, the invention encompasses a method for treating an individual comprising administering to that individual a therapeutically acceptablε dose of an anti-allergic preparation containing substantially purified HRIF. In general, empirical procedures will be required in order to detεrminε thε optimal dosε for treating a particular allergic condition. Thesε procedures are generally known to those of skill in the pharmaceutical arts and will be discussed in some additional detail in Example VI. 2-1 In addition, in the future, the HRIF might be prεparεd by rεcombinant DNA technology. The cloning of the gene for HRIF might be done in several ways. One of the preferred methods will be to isolate RNA from histamine-stimulatεd MNC. mRNA could bε isolated from the RNA by using oligo (dT)-cellulose and translated in frog oocytes. Once the mRNA for HRIF is detected, a cDNA library could be constructed and translated in bacteria or yeast using an appropriate vεctor (ε.g. pUC9). The specificity of the cDNA could be tested by hybridizing with mRNA from MNC. Once the spεcificity is dεtermined, the cDNA will be sequεncεd. Although this mεthod is prεfεrred, other methods, for example, synthεsis of an oligonuclεotidε from a partial amino acid sεquεncε, might also bε used. The following examplεs arε providεd in ordεr to more clearly illustrate the invention but should not be construed as limiting the claims therεof. EXAMPLE I METHODS FOR PRODUCING HRIF GENERATION OF HRIF BY NORMAL HUMAN MONONUCLEAR CELLS Thε following example is designεd to illustrate the production of thε anti-allergic cytokine by normal human mononuclear cells. A. Reagents RPMI-1640 was obtained from GIBCO Laboratories, Grand Island, NY; fatal calf sεrum from HyClonε Laboratories, Inc., Logan, UT; glutamine, 2- • 58 mercaptoethanol, histamine, Ficoll, Hypaque, human sεrum albumin (HSA), phorboi myristatε acetate, concanavalin A (Con A), penicillin, streptomycin and agarose-coupled trypsin, chymotrypsin and neuraminidase from Sigma Chemicals Co., St. Louis, MO; Hepes from Research Organics, Inc., Cleveland, OH; tissue culture flasks from Coming Glass Works, Corning, NY; Sephadεx G-50 superfine from Pharmacia, Inc., Piscataway, NJ; hydroxyethyl starch (HetaStarch) from American McGaw, Irvine, CA; Spectrapor dialysis tubing from Spectrum Medical industries, Los Angeles, CA; human recombinant interleukin 1, 2, and 4 from Genzymε, Boston, MA; and human rεcombinant gamma-intεrf ron from Collaborativε Research, Inc., Bedford, MA; DEAE (DE-52) gεl from Whatman, Ltd., England; ragweed pollen allεrgenic extract from Greer Laboratoriεs, Lεnoir, NC; housε dust mite allergenic extract from Hollister-Stiεr Laboratories, Spokane, WA; rabbit anti-human IgE sεrum from Behring Diagnostics, Somervillε, NY. C5a was prepared as describεd by Farnam, εt al. , J. Immunol. , 134:541 (1985). B. Isolation Of Mononuclεar Cεlls (MNC) From Pεriphεral Blood Peripheral venous blood was drawn from healthy donors after obtaining written informed consent. Heparinized blood was dilutεd with two volumεs of Hanks balancεd salt solution (HBSS) and centrifuged on a Ficoll-Hypaque (specific gravity 1.077) cushion. Mononuclear cells were separatεd and washεd three times with HBSS and suspendεd at a concεntration 5 X 10 per ml in RPMI-1640 medium containing 100 units penicillin per ml, 100 meg streptomycin per ml, 4 mM glutamine, and 5 X 10 M 2-mercaptoethanol. C. Isolation Of Basophil Enriched Peripheral Blood Laukocytεs Basophil enriched leukocytes were isolated from peripheral blood of normal or allergic donors according to the following procedure. Venous blood from donors was anticoagulated with 10 mM EDTA and sedimented with 1.5% hydroxyethyl starch for 30 inutεs at room temperature. The leukocyte-rich buffy coat was collected and washed threε timεs in HA buffεr (10 mM Hεpεs, pH 7.4, plus 137 mM NaCl, 5 mM KC1 and 0.03% human serum albumin) and the cells pellεtεd in a rεfrigerated centrifuge (4°C.) at 300 X G for 10 minutes. The washed leukocytes were suspended in HACM buffer (Hepes buffer, pH 7.4, 0.03% human sεrum albumin, 2 mM CaCl- and 1 mM MgCl-). Thε prεparation containεd about 0.5% basophils. Routinely it is not necessary to purify basophils further since these cells contain virtually all thε blood histaminε. Leukocytes from 1 ml of blood were usually used for one duplicate experiment. D. Genεration Of HRF-Containing Supεrnatant And Assay Of HRF MNC were pulsed with concanavalin A (25 ug per ml) in RPMI medium for four hours, washed twice with HBSS, resuspended in RPMI medium, and then cultured for 72 hours. Supernatants werε harvested and concentrated 50-fold using an Amicon ultrafiltration chamber with YM-5 filters (MW cut-off 5,000). Usually supεrnatants were pooled from cultured mononuclear cells obtained from 10-15 liters of blood and then appliεd to gel filtration columns (Sephadex G-75). Fractions containing histamine releasing activity (15K-30K fractions) as measurεd by leukocyte histamine release test were pooled, aliquoted, frozεn at -70°C. and usεd as a source of HRF. For assay, aliquots of 100 ul of test supernatant were incubated with 100 ul of leukocyte suspension for 45 minutes in a shaking water bath at 37°C. Each experimεnt was donε in duplicate. Four hundred microliters of HA buffer was added to each tube at the end of the incubation. Thε supernatants were separated from the cells by centrifugation at 600 X g for five minutes at 4°C. The histamine content of the supernatants was measured using an automated fluorometric analyzer (Siraganian, J. Immunol. , methods, 7:283 (1975)). Spontaneous histamine rεlεase was assessed by incubating the cells in HACM buffer alonε. Thε total histaminε contεnt of thε cells was measured by lysing the cεlls with 3% pεrchloric acid. Thε pεrcentage of histaminε rεlεasε was calculatεd according to- thε formula: histamine in the supεrnatant 10 _ total histaminε in thε cεlls x Spontanεous histaminε rεlεasε from thε cεlls was usually lεss than 5% and was subtractεd from thε calculated histaminε releasε. In a modification of this protocol, mononuclεar cεlls from 15 healthy donors were cultured alone or in —6 the presencε of histaminε (10 M) for 24 hours. Supernatants wεre dialyzed and tested for histamine releasing activity, essεntially as above. The results of this experiment, shown in FIG. 1, indicated that a significantly lower amount of histamine relεasε was obtainεd when histamine was added to the cultures. This finding could result from histamine-mediated suppression of HRF production, histamine-mediated stimulation of synthesis of an inhibitor, or a combination of the two. E. Genεration Of HRIF Containing Supernatant And Assay Of HRIF Mononuclear cells (3 X 10 cells per ml) werε cultured alone in RPMI-1640 (with added glutaminε 4 mM, —6 2-mεrcaptoεthanol 5 x 10 M, pεnicillin 100 units per ml, and streptomycin 100 meg pεr ml) or in the presence of varying concentrations of histamine in the same medium for 24 hours. In other experiments, mononuclear cells were stimulated with concanavalin A and with pollen allergens. Culture supernatant was harvεstεd by cεntrifugation at approximately 450 X g for ten minutes at 48°C, dialyzed in Spectrapor-3 tubing (molecular weight cutoff = 3,500 daltons) twice against 1000 volumes of distilled water at 4°C. for 12 hours and 100 volumes of 10 mM Hepes buffer, pH 7.4, (containing 137 mM NaCl, 5 mM KC1, 2 mM CaCl 2 , and 1 mM MgCl 2 ) for 4 hours in order to rεmovε histamine. The dialyzed supernatants were used immεdiately or stored at -70°C. This supernatant was tested for inhibition of HRF- induced histamine relεase from basophils isolated according to the procedure describεd in Examplε I C. Aliquots of 100 ul of dilutεd tεst supεrnatants were preincubatεd with 100 ul of leukocyte suspension (2-5 X 10 cells per ml) for five minutes at 37°C. and then challenged with 100 ul of HRF-containing supernatant for an additional 45 minutes at 37°C. Three sets of controls were run simultaneously: 1) cells preincubatεd with buffer and then challenged with HRF; 2) cells preincubatεd with the test supernatant and then V2 challεngεd with buffεr; and 3) cεlls prεincubated with buffer and challenged with buffer. Each experiment was done in duplicate. At the conclusion of the incubation, 300 ul of HACM buffεr was added to each tube and the supernatants were separated from the cells by centrifugation- at 600 X g for five minutes at 4°C. The histamine content of the supernatants was measured spectrofluoromεtrically. Thε pεrcentagε of histaminε rεleasεd was calculated as described above. A typical experiment was carried out according to the following protocol: Preincubation Challenge a. leukocytes + buffer + buffer b. lεukocytes + buffer + HRF c. leukocytes + supernatant + buffer d. lεukocytes + supernatant + HRF The percεntagε of inhibition of histamine release was calculated according to the formula: [ (b-a)-(d-c)] x 100/(b-a) As stated previously, early experimεnts showed that culture of mononuclear cells in the presεncε of histamine resulted in decreased histamine release. This finding could result from histamine-mεdiated suppression of HRF production, histaminε-mεdiatεd stimulation of synthεsis of an inhibitor, or a combination of the two. Therefore, in order to detεrminε whether an inhibitor was produced, the supernatant fluid from —8 normal human MNC cultured with histamine at 10 M was assayed for its ability to inhibit the release of 3- mediators from peripheral blood basophils triggered with HRF. As shown in FIG. 2, histamine-stimulated MNC supernatant inhibited histamine release from basophils triggered with HRF. The action of this histamine release inhibitory factor (HRIF) obtained from six consecutive cell donors was dose-dependent over a wide range of dilutions. Conditioned supernatants produced by MNC cultured without histamine showed modest inhibitory activity. Histamine incubated with medium alone and thεn dialyzed did not show any inhibitory activity. Histamine was undetectable, less than 10 -9M, (as determined by a sensitivε radioenzymatic assay of Verburg, et al., Life Sciences, 32:2855 (1983)) in all thesε dialyzed supernatants. When the recovery of HRIF from histamine-stimulated MNC was examined, significant activity was obtained with MNC from ten additional normal donors, The following expεrimεnt was thεn pεrformεd in ordεr to dεtεrmine whethεr thε εnhanced HRIF production observed upon culture of mononuclear cells in the presencε of histaminε was dεpεndεnt on thε concentration of histamine in the culture mεdium and to εstablish the optimal histamine concentration for achieving enhanced HRIF production. MNC were harvested and cultured as describεd above excεpt that thε concentration of histaminε added to the culture medium varied from 10 -12 M to 10 M. Then, dialyzed supernatants were tested for inhibition of HRF-induced histaminε rεlεasε from basophils as dεscribεd abovε. The results of this experiment, shown in FIG. 3, indicate that HRIF production was dependent on the amount of histamine presεnt within thε culturε. Optimal HRIF production was achiεvεd whεn thε concεntration of histamine in the culture medium was about 10 σ to 10 M. In these expεrimεnts, control HRF-induced histaminε rεlεasε ranged from 33%-40%. Although histamine has beεn reported to inhibit antigen-inducεd histamine release —7 —fi from basophils at concentrations of 3 X 10 to 10 M, it is extremely unlikely that inhibition of HRF-induced histamine rεlease was due to the presencε of contaminating histaminε in thε supernatant since histaminε was undetεctablε in thε dialyzed supernatants (less than 10 -9 M) . Furthermorε, HRIF does not appear to inhibit antigen-inducεd histaminε rεlεasε. In addition, thε following εxpεrimεnts wεrε performed in order to further characterizε HRIF mεdiatεd inhibition of allεrgic mεdiator releasε. Basophil enriched leukocytes were preincubated at room temperature with HRIF for 40-60 seconds, 3, 5, or 10 minutes and then challεnged with HRF. The rεsults of this procεdure, shown in FIG. 4, indicated that a preincubation period of 5 to 10 minutes with basophils is necessary for complete inhibitory activity. Preincubation of basophils with HRIF for less than 5 minutes resulted in less inhibition of histamine release. Moreovεr, in additional experimεnts (FIG. 5), it was shown that rεmoval of HRIF following the incubation period by repeatεd washεs did not affεct inhibition of histaminε rεlεase from basophils. When HRF and HRIF were preincubatεd prior to addition of basophils, there was no change in the relεase of histamine suggesting that the two factors do not bind together in the fluid phasε. Rεsults arε rεprεsεntativε of three similar experimεnts. Stimulation of HRIF production by histaminε suggests that a negative feεdback mεchanism may εxist *J5 between lymphocytes and histamine producing cells that would function as follows: lymphocytes produce HRF that activates mast cells and basophils to relεase histamine; this histamine then stimulates lymphocytes to produce HRIF which, in turn, inhibits further histamine release, thereby reestablishing immunologic homeostasis. Thus, there appears to be a fine balance between the production of HRF and HRIF in. vivo and loss of this balance may contribute to the development of allergic disease. This hypothesis is further supported by the results of a study described in Example III below. EXAMPLE II CHARACTERIZATION OF HRIF The following example describes the character¬ ization and substantial purification of HRIF. A. Physicochεmical Characterization Of HRIF Conditioned supernatant from histamine stimulated mononuclear cells was preparεd as described above in Example I and used as a source of HRIF. Histamine- stimulatεd mononuclεar call supernatant was then tested for inhibition of HRF-induced histamine release after the following treatmεnts: a) hεating at 60°C. for onε hour; and b) repeated freezing and thawing (4X). The results of these experiments, shown in Table I, indicated that HRIF is resistant to heat trεatmεnt at 60°C. for one hour and is relatively resistant to repeated freezing and thawing. In addition, HRIF was subjected to digestion with various enzymes. For this procedure, trypsin and chymotrypsin coupled to agarose wεrε washed twice with HCM, pH 7.8, and suspendεd in thε same buffer. Aliquots of HRIF-containing supernatants from histaminε- stimulated MNC cultures were incubated with trypsin (2 units per ml) or -chymotry-psi-n (2 units per ml) for two hours at 30°C. Neuraminidase coupled to agarose was washed with acetate buffer, pH 5.0, and then incubated for two hours at 37°C. at a concεntration of 2 units pεr ml with HRIF dialyzεd against the same buffer. Controls included supernatants treated with the same buffεrs (positivε control) and agarose-coupied εnzymεs incubated with buffer (negativε control). Supεrnatants wεrε sεparated from the εnzymεs by cεntrifugation, dialyzεd against HACM buffεr, and assayεd for HRIF. Enzymatic treatment of HRIF-containing supernatants with trypsin and chymotrypsin almost completεly abolishεd its activity (Tablε I) . This suggεstεd that intact protein structure is necessary for the inhibitory activity of HRIF. Treatment of HRIF-containing supernatant with neuraminidasε did not significantly affect its activity, suggesting that HRIF does not have sialic acid residues necεssary for function. V7 Table I PHYSICOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF HRIF ND: Not done. a: Untreated controls of HRIF for enzyme-treated exper¬ iments were dialyzed against HCM, pH 7.8, and then incubated at 30°C. for trypsin and chymotrypsin experiments or dialyzed against acetatε buffεr, pH 5, and thεn incubated at 37°C. for nεuraminidase experiments for two hours. These treatments did n t affect the activity of the supernatants. b: HRIF was dialyzed against HCM, pH 7.8, and then incubated at 30°C. for two hours. c: HRIF was dialyzed against acetate buffer, pH 5.0, and then incubated with neuraminidase in the same buffer at 37°C. for two hours. Finally, experiments were performed in order to differentiate HRIF from several known cytokines. For these experiments, basophils were preincubated with various concentrations of human recombinant interleukin 1 (IL-1) beta, IL-2, IL-4, and gamma-interferon, and then challenged with HRF. None of these cytokines at a concentration up to 500 units per ml inhibited HRF- induced histamine release (FIG. 6A) . Similarly, HRIF has been shown to be distinct from tumor necrosis factor, IL-3, & G.M. colony stimulating factor (FIG. 6B) . B. Purification Of HRIF Activity HRIF was purified by gel exclusion chromatography of histamine-stimulated MNC supernatant. Generally, about 2 ml of concentrated supernatant (10-15 X) was applied to a column (90 cm X 1.5 cm) packed with Sephadex G-50 and equilibrated with HCM buffεr. The column was calibrated with blue dextran, carbonic anhydrasε, cytochro ε C, and insulin. Flow ratε was maintained at 12 ml per hour at 4°C. One milliliter fractions wεrε collected and tεstεd for inhibition of HRF-inducεd histaminε release from basophils as outlined in Example I. The results of this expεrimεnt, shown in FIG. 7A, demonstrate that HRIF activity eluted in a region consistent with a molecular wεight of 8,000- 10,000. In this experiment, control histamine releasε was 26%. The εxperiment was repeated with two different lots of HRIF and a similar elution profile of HRIF was noted each time. In order to detεrminε whεther concanavalin A- stimulatεd supεrnatant contained both HRF and HRIF activities, gεl chromatography of concanavalin A-pulsεd MNC supεrnatant was pεrformεd and fractions were assayed separatεly for HRF and HRIF activitiεs. As shown in FIG. 7B, HRF was rεcovεrεd from fractions which corresponded to the MW ranges 15K-30K as well in a larger MW fraction (previously shown to be approximately 50K), and HRIF appearεd in thε MW rangε 8K-10K. Histamine-stimulated supernatant from MNC of somε normal donors also showεd a small pεak of HRF in the MW range 15K-30K (see FIG. 7A) . However, a slightly differεnt profilε was observed in other experiments (7C). In these expεrimεnts. twenty-fold concentrated supernatant (2 ml) was applied to a column (90 cm x 1.5 cm) that was precalibrated with marker proteins. One milliliter fractions were collected, and every other fraction was tested for direct histamine rεlease (o) and for the inhibition of HRF-induced histamine release (o) from basophils. This profile of HRIF activity, which shows an additional peak of activity at about 20,000 to 30,000 daltons, has been observed in 1 of 3 MNC donors. It is possible that the higher molεcular weight species represents a multimer of the lower molecular weight form. It is possible that the higher molecular weight species represents a multimer of the lower molεcular weight form. HRIF was also purified by ion exchangε chromatography. For this procεdure, concanavalin A supernatant was dialyzed against 1 mM phosphate buffer, pH 7.4, and incubated overnight with DEAE cellulosε that was then put in a small column, washed with the same buffer, and then elutεd with a linεar gradiεnt from 1 to 500 mM NaCl in 1 mM phosphatε buffer, pH 7.4, and the fractions collected. As shown in FIG. 8, HRIF was bound to the gel under the starting conditions and most of the activity eluted at approximately 100 mM NaCl. This experiment was repeated with a histamine-stimulated MNC supernatant; HRIF also bound to DEAE cellulosε undεr similar conditions and could bε eluted with 100 mM NaCl. In a variation on this procedurε, DEAE-cεllulose purified HRIF in 1 mM phosphate buffer, pH 6.9 was applied to a Synchropak AX 300 anion exchange HPLC column that was equilibratεd with thε samε phosphate buffer. After washing the column with the buffer for 20 min, a linear gradient of 0-0.5M NaCl was applied for 60 min and then further elutεd with 0.5M NaCl in phosphatε 6O min, a linear gradient of 0-0.5M NaCl was applied for 60 min and then further eluted with 0.5M NaCl in phosphate buffer for another 20 min. One milliliter fractions wεre collectεd, dialyzed and thεn assayεd for HRIF activity using basophils from a healthy subject. Results of this procedure arε shown in Figure 8A. In another purification using HPLC gel filtration, two hundred fifty microliters of fifty-fold concentrated Con A-stimulated MNC supεrnatant was applied to a TSK 2000 gel filtration SW column preequilibrated with HCM buffεr, pH 7.3. The column was eluted with the buffer at 0.3 ml/min and 0.6 ml fractions werε collected and tested for HRIF activity. For this purpose, leukocytεs from normal subjεcts were incubated with εach fraction for 5 min and thεn challεngεd with a batch of HRF. Thε control histaminε rεlese was 55%. The optical density was monitored at 280 nm. Similar result was obtained with 5 different MNC supernatants. Thε rεsults of this expεriment indicated that the activity elutεd with an apparent molecular weight of 15,000 to 25,000 daltons. The variation observεd betweεn thε results shown in this figure and in FIG. 7A and 7B may be attributεd to variations in the particular εxpεri ental conditions usεd. In additional εxpεrimεnts, thε invεntors attεmpted to separate HRF and HRIF by affinity chromatography using concanavalin A-Sepharosε, lεntil lectin-Sepharose, and peanut agglutinin-Agarose. Neither molecule bound to these lectin-couplεd gels (data not shown), suggesting that both HRF and HRIF, perhaps, do not contain mannose-, glucose-, or galactose-rich carbohydrates. C. Specificity Of The HRIF Induced Inhibition A number of compounds are known to stimulate release of allergic mediators from mast cells and basophils. The following example is designed to demonstrate the specificity of the inhibitory activity of HRIF, In this example HRIF is shown to inhibit histamine release induced by triggering basophils with HRF, but not to inhibit histaminε releasε induced by triggering basophils with any of the other compounds tested; namely, ragweed antigen, concanavalin A, anti- IgE, phorboi myristate acetate, and C5a (FIG. 9). Basophils from ragweεd-allεrgic donors wεre pre¬ incubated with HRIF containing supernatant produced as described in Example I for five minutes, and then challenged with various secretagogues essentially as described in Example I. Cells were challenged with HRF, ragweed allergεn (10~ w/v), anti-IgE (1:10,000 dilution of thε antisεrum), concanavalin A (10 ug pεr ml), phorboi myristate acetate (10 ng per ml), and C5a (1:100 dilution of partially purified anaphylatoxin prepared according to the Farnam, et al., J. Immunol. , 134:541 (1985). EXAMPLE III SYNTHESIS OF HRIF BY MONONUCLEAR CELLS OF ALLERGIC SUBJECTS The following example demonstratεs that HRIF is made in deficiεnt amounts by mononuclεar cells from some allergic patients. Cells from anothεr group of allεrgic patients receiving conventional allergεn immunotherapy at maintenance does, showed normal levels of synthesis. 5Z- Mononuclear cells from allεrgic donors wεrε isolated and cultured with histamine (10 M) for 24 hours essεntially as described in Example I and in FIG. 2, Following extensive dialysis, HRIF was assayed using inhibition of an HRF standard which gave a control reiεasε of histamine of 20%-44%. For threε out of five subjects not receiving immunotherapy, no significant synthesis by mononuclear ceils was detεcted (FIG. 10A) . Eight other subjects who werε rεcεiving maintεnancε dosεs of effectivε allεrgen ' immunotherapy werε also studiεd (FIG. 10B) . Thε level of HRIF recovεrεd from supεrnatant fluid of their cells stimulated with histamine was not diffεrεnt from values obtained for nonallεrgic voluntεεrs that arε rεportεd in FIG. 2. In additional studies, MNC from 7 healthy subjεcts, 10 patients with allergic rhinitis/asthma and 8 allergic/asthmatic patients recεiving immunotherapy werε —8 isolatεd and culturεd with histaminε (10 M) for 24 hr. The culture supernatants were dialyzed to remove ' histamine and then testεd for thε inhibition of HRF- induced histamine release from basophils. For this purpose, leukocytes were isolated from an asymptomatic atopic (skin test-positivε) subjεct, preincubated with MNC-supernatant and thεn challεngεd with a stock batch of HRF. The control histamine rεlεasε in this εxpεriment was 50%. Thεsε rεsults are shown in Fig. 10c. S3 EXAMPLE IV A. Demonstration of HRIF Activity on Human Mast Cells -3 The following example demonstrates that HRIF inhibits allergic mediator release from human mast cells. 0 Mast cells wεre obtained from human bronchoalveoli by bronchoalveolar lavage performed according to the procedure describεd in Bernstein, et al,, J. Allergy Clin. Immunol. , 76:145 (1985). Asthmatic subjects who were relatively stable were lightly sedated and the bronchoscope was' passed to a segmental bronchus of the right middle lobe or lingula. Warmed saline in 20 to 50 ml aliquots was instilled into the sεgment and immediately aspirated. A maximum total of 300 ml of saline was used. After passing through gauze, thε cells were centrifuged at 300 X G for 10 minutes in a refrigerated centrifuge, and washed twice with HA buffer as described in Example I. C. Subsequently, the cells were preincubated with HRIF or control buffer for 10 - minutes at 37°C and then challenged with HRF essentially as described in Example I except that histamine was assayed radioenzymatically according to the method of Verburg, et al.. Life Sciences, 32:2855 (1983). The results of this expεrimεnt, shown in FIG. 11, demonstrated that HRIF inhibits allergic mediator release from human mast cells as well as basophils. HRF induced histamine release was 18% in experiment 1 and 38% in experiment 2. 3. HRIF in Brochεolar Lavace Fluid Thε present inventors have also discovered that HRIF, as well as a dializable low molecular weight inhibitor of histamine release is presεnt in bronchiolar lavage fluid obtained from human subjects. These studies are described below. Reaqεnts. RPMI 1640 was obtainεd from GIBCO Laboratories, Grand Island, NY: human serum albumin, glutamine, histamine, f-mεthyl pεptidε (FMLP), Ficoll, Hypaquε, concanavalin A (Con A), pεnicillin, streptomycin and agarose-couplεd trypsin and chymotrypsin from Sigma Chεmicals Co., St. Louis, MO; Hepes from Research Organics, Inc., Clevεland, OH; tissue culturε flasks from Corning Glass Works, Corning, NY; Sεphadεx G-50 and G-75 supεrfine from Pharmacia, Inc., Piscataway, NJ; hydroxyethyl starch (HetaStarch) from Amεrican McGaw, Irvinε, CA; Spectrapor dialysis tubing from Spectrum Mεdical Industries, Los Angeles, CA; and rabbit anti-human IgE serum was from Behring diagnostics, Somεrville, NY. Bronchoalveolar lavage was performed on 20 normal subjects and 30 mild to moderatε asthmatic volunteers. Written consent was obtained from each subjεct bεforε the procedure. The selection of asthmatic patients was based upon the criteria of NIH/ATS (Goldstein RA, Hurd SS. NHLBI Workshop Summaries: summary and recommendations of a workshop on the investigative use of fiberoptic bronchoscopy and bronchoalveolar lavage in asthmatics. Am. Rev. Respir. Pis. 1985; 132:180-2). Lavage was performed with 200 ml of sterile saline. The recovery was on average 60%. The BAL fluid was spun at 450xg for 15 min. The cell-free fluid was collectεd and aliquotεd into small volumes and frozen at -70°C until use. HRF and HRIF activity was assayed using undialyzεd as well as dialyzed (MW cut-off 3,500) BAL fluids. In addition, samplεs of BAL fluid were concentratεd 15-20x using Amicon Ultrafiltration Cell with a membrane of MW cut-off 5,000. Samples of each BAL fluid were tested for HRF and HRIF activities using basophils from at least three different donors. HRIF was tested on basophils from two allergic donors and one normal subject and HRF was measured using basophils from allergic and/or asthmatic patients. Generation of HRF. Leukocytes werε isolatεd from buffy coats obtainεd from normal blood bank donors. MNC were isolated as described earliεr (Thuεson DO, Spεck LS, Lett-Brown MA, Grant JA. Histamine releasing activity (HRA) . I. Production by mitogen- or antigen- stimulatεd human mononuclεar cells. J. Immunol. 1979: 123:626-632) and pulsed with Con A (25 ug/ml) in RPMI medium for 4 h, washed twice with HBSS, resuspended in RPMI medium, and cultured for 72 h. The supernatants werε harvεstεd, and concentrated 10-20x by using an Amicon ultrafiltration chamber with YM-5 filtεrs (mol wt cut-off 5,000) . Thε concεntratεd supεrnatants wεre applied to gel filtration columns (5 x 100 cm) containing Sephadεx G- 75. The fractions containing histamine rεlεasing activity (15kD to 30kD fractions), mεasurεd as dεscribεd below, " were pooled, concentratεd 10-fold, dividεd into aliquots, frozen at -70°C and used as a source of HRF. Isolation of peripheral blood leukocytes. Venous blood from donors was anticoagulated with 10 mM EDTA and sedi eπtεd with 1.5% hydroxyethyl starch for 30 min at room temperature (Lett-Brown MA, Thueson DO, Plank DE, Langford ME, Grant JA. Histamine releasing activity. IV. Molecular heterogεneity of the activity from stimulated human thoracic duct lymphocytes. Cell. Immunol. 1984; 87:434-444.) The leukocyte-rich buffy coat was collected and washed thrεε timεs in HA buffer (Hepεs buffer, pH 7.4 and 0.03% human serum albumin) in a s i refrigεrated centrifuge (4°C) at 300 x g. The washed leukocytes (0.1-1% basophils) werε suspεnded in HACM buffer (Hepes buffer, pH 7.4, 0.03% human serum albumin, 2 mM CaCl-, and 1 mM MgCl-), Leukocytes from 1 ml of blood were usually used for one duplicate experiment for assaying HRF and HRIF. Assay of HRF. Aliquots of 100 ul of BAL fluid were incubated with 100 ul of leukocyte suspension for 45 min in a shaking water bath at 37°C. Each expεriment was done in duplicate. At the end of the incubation, 400 ul of HA buffεr wεrε added to each tube. The supεrnatants were separated from the cells by centrifugation at 600 g for 5 min at 4°C. The histamine content of the supernatants was measured using an automated fluorometric analyzer (Siraganian RP. Refinements in the automated fluorometric histamine analysis system. J. Immunol. Methods. 1975; 7:283-281.) Spontaneous histaminε rεlεase was assessεd by incubating thε cεlls in HACM buffer alone. The total histamine content of the cells was measured by lysing the cells with 3% perchloric acid. The pεrcεntage of histamine release was calculated according to the formula: SB [(histaimine in the supernatant)xl001 total histamine in the cells Spontaneous histamine relεase from thε cells was usually <5% and was subtracted from the calculated histamine rεlεasε, Assay of HRIF. Aliquots of 100 ul of BAL fluid (dialyzεd or undialyzed) were preincubatεd with 100 ul of leukocyte suspension for 5 min at 37°C and then challenged with 100 ul of HRF-containing supernatant (or other secretagogues) for an additional 45 min at 37°C. Three sets of controls were run simultaneously: 1) cells prεincubatεd with buffεr and thεn challenged with HRF, 2) cells preincubatεd with BAL fluid and thεn challεnged with buffer, and 3) cells prεincubatεd with buffer and challengεd with buffεr. Each experiment was done in duplicate. At thε conclusion of the incubation, 300 ul of HACM buffer were added to each tube, and the supεrnatants were separated from the cells by centrifugation at 600 g for 5 min at 4°C. The histamine content of the supernatants was measured spectrofluoromεtrically. Thε percentagε of histamine released was calculated as described above. A typical experimεnt was carriεd out according to the following protocol: * SI Preincubation Challεngε (a) leukocytes + buffer + buffer (b) leukocytes + buffer + HRF (c) leukocytes + BAL + buffer (d) leukocytes + BAL + HRF The percεntage of inhibition of histamine release was calculated according to the formula: [ (b-a)-(d-c) ] x 100/(b-a) The dilution of HRF for thesε εxpεrimεnts was so chosen as to obtain a histamine release in the range of 20 to 50%. Inhibition of histamine releasε by anti-IgE, allergen, ■Con A and FMLP. Thesε experimεnts wεre carried out as dεscribεd abovε except that anti-IgE, ragweed allergen. Con A and FMLP were used as agonists. The concentrations of the agonists were individualized for each basophil donor so as to get 20-50% of histamine release. The exact concentration is given in the text. Gεl filtration of BAL fluids. Chromatography was performed with a column (90 x 1.5 cm) packed with Sephadex G-50 and εquilibratεd with HCM buffεr. Thε column was calibrated with blue dextran, carbonic anhydrase, cytochrome C and insulin. Flow ratε was maintained at 12 ml/h at 4°C. Usually 3-4 ml of concentrated (20-40 X) BAL fluids was applied to the column. Fractions of 1 ml werε collεcted and assayed for HRF and HRIF activity. Trεatmant of basophils with lactic acid and resensitization with serum. The removal of surface IgE from the basophils was accomplished by trεating thε cεlls with lactic acid (pH 3.9) for 3.5 min according to Pruzansky εt al (Pruzansky JJ, Grammar LC, Patterson R r Roberts M. Dissociation of IgEfro receptors on human basophils. I. Enhanced passive sensitization for histaminε rεlεasε. J. Immunol. , 1983; 131:1949-). Thε cells were then washεd three times and then resensitized with sera from an allergic asthmatic patients and healthy subject for 45 min " . After two more washes, the cells were used in the histamine releasε test. Statistical analysis. Results arε εxprεssεd as mean +_ SEM. Data were analyzed for differεncεs using the computer program Epistat. HRIF activity. Basophils from two allergic donors and one normal subject were used to assay thε HRIF activity. Of 43 subjεcts studiεd, unconcεntratεd BAL fluids from 10 normal subjεcts and 22 asthmatic patiεnts demonstratεd modεratε to strong inhibitory activity against HRF-inducεd histamine release from basophils obtained from all threε donors (Figure 12). As described later, BAL fluids, which showed significant inhibitory activity (>15%), did not show any HRF activity when tested unconcentrated. In a next step, 25 BAL fluids (13 asthmatic patients and 12 normal subjects) were dialyzed against HCM buffer overnight using Spectrapor dialysis membranes (MW cut-off 3,500). After dialysis, the inhibitory activity against HRF was retained in 10 samples from normal subjects (83%) and 2 samples from asthmatic patients (15%) (Figure 13). Dialysis of the dialyzed (r l BAL fluids for shortεr periods (4-8hr) has the same effect. The inhibitory activity of the BAL fluid is dose-dεpεndεnt as shown in Figure 14. The inhibitory activity of the BAL fluids towards other agonists was also evaluated. Basophils werε preincubated with samples of BAL fluids and then challengεd with anti-IgE, concanavalin A, and FMLP. As shown in Figurε 15, thε undialyzed BAL fluids inhibitεd histaminε rεlease caused by these agonists. The inhibitory activity against anti-IgE, Con A, and FMLP was, however, totally lost in all samples after dialysis. This suggested that BAL fluids contain at least two inhibitors of histamine relεasε, a dialyzable inhibitor which blocks histamine rεlεasε caused by most secretagogues and a non-dialyzable (MW >3,500) antagonist of HRF. The latter antagonist is present in the BAL fluid from most of the normal subjεcts. The approximate molecular weight of the non- dialyzable inhibitor was estimated by gel filtration chromatography (Figure 16). After concentrating 10-20x, samples of BAL fluids were applied to a column containing Sephadex G-50. The inhibitory activity was eluted from the column in the fractions which corrεspondεd to thε MW of 8kD. Thus this inhibitor resembles the MNC-derived HRIF in its molecular weight and specificity (antagonizes HRF only). HRF activity. All unconcentratεd BAL fluids wεre initially tested for HRF activity using basophils from two allergic patients and one normal subject. Only three BAL fluids from asthmatic patients (32% 10% and 8% of histamine relεase) and none from the normals releasεd small amounts of histamine. This activity was not lost aftεr ovεrnight dialysis (MW>3,500). In a nεxt. step, the inventors concentrated the BAL fluids from 7 donors 10-40x using Amicon Ultrafiltration Cells and membranes (MW cut-off 5,000) and then screened against basophils from asthmatic donors. All concentrated samples ' showεd significant histamine release as shown in the Table below. Histamine rεlεasε from basophils by BAL fluid BAL # Concεntration % histamine releasε from basophils 1 lOx 34 3 lOx 13 5 20x 55 35 55x 49 39 28x 40 40 20x 21 43 36x 73 Samples of BAL fluids werε concentrated (MW cut-off 500) and dialyzed (MW cut-off 3,500) and then testεd for histamine releasing activity using basophils from an allergic asthmatic donor. All BAL samples were obtained from normal subjects. Effect of lactic acid traatmant on HRF-inducεd histamine release. Previous studies have demonstrated that the surface-bound IgE from the basophils can be removed- by treatment with lactic acid for 3.5 min (Pruzansky JJ, Grammer LC, Patterson R, Roberts M. Dissociation of IgEfrom receptors on human basophils,- I. Enhanced passive sεnsitization for histamine release. J. Immunol,, 1983; 131:1949-). BAL-HRF has been shown to be dependent on the presence of specific subtype of IgE (MacDonald SM, Lichtenstein LM, Proud D, Plaut M, Naclerio RM, MacGlashan DW, Kagey-Sobotka A. Studies of IgEdependent histamine releasing factors: heterogenεity of IgE. J. Immunol, 1987; 139:506-521.) To explore this mechanism of action of HRF, the inventors treated basophils from an allergic asthmatic patient with lactic acid and then resεnsitizεd thεm with serum from an allergic asthmatic or normal subject. As shown in Figure 17, HRF-induced histamine release significantly decreasεd after treatment with lactic acid, and this was only partially restored after resensitization with sεrum from an asthmatic patiεnt but not a hεalthy subjεct. In subsεquεnt εxperiments, basophils from a skin-test-positive asymptomatic subject were rendεred increased responsivenεss upon resensitization with serum from an allergic asthmatic patient. (FIG. 7C). These results demonstrate that BAL fluids contain two inhibitors of histamine release from basophils, a non-specific inhibitor that blocks histamine relεasε by most secretagogues, and HRIF, a specific antagonist of HRF. HRIF has been characterized as described above. The non-specific inhibitor has a molecular weight less than 3,500 and is lost after dialysis. Although inhibitor is present in most BAL fluids, its (A physiological significance is not completely understood at the presεnt timε. Thε presence of HRF-and HRIF-like activitiεs in thε body fluids suggests that thεse cytokines may play an important role in the local regulation of basophils and perhaps mast cεlls. The detection of HRIF-like activity in the BAL fluid suggests that this inhibitor may represent a local control mechanism of allergic inflammation. A fine balance between HRF and HRIF may exist in body fluids under normal condition and a loss of this balance in favor of HRF may predisposε to asthma and other allergic diseases. * EXAMPLE V DEVELOPMENT OF HRIF-PRODUCING CELL LINES The following example is designed to illustrate various procedures used by the inventors to producε cell lines that produce HRIF. A. Generation Of Cell Lines Producing HRIF, Designatεd A-MLB And A-RA Human mononuclear cells were obtained from allergic donors who had been receiving conventional immunotherapy with allergenic extracts. Thesε patiεnts had bεεn judgεd by their physicians to havε rεcεivεd a bεnεficial response to this therapy, with some reduction in clinical symptoms of allergy. Approximately 50 ml of blood was drawn and anticoagulated in heparin 10 units per ml. The mononuclear cell fraction was obtained by centrifugation over Ficoll-Hypaque (1.077 spεcific gravity). Approximatεly 60 x 10 cεlls wεre obtained, ✓ S washed three times in Hanks' balanced salt solution g (HBSS) and suspended at a concentration of 1 x 10 /ml in RPMI 1640 with 5% heat-inactivated fetal calf serum (FCS, Hyclone, Inc., Logan, UT), 10 mM Hepεs buffer, pH —6 7.4, 4 mM gluta inε, 5 x 10 M 2-mercaptoethanol, 100 units/ml penicillin and 100 ug/ml streptomycin. MNC 2 were cultured in Corning 25 cm tissue culture flasks in the presence of dust mite antigen (Dermatophagoidεs farinae 10 —5 w/v, Hollister, Stier Laboratories, Spokane, WA) for 3 days. Supernatants were collected, centrifuged at 400 x G at 4°C, and cells were resuspended in the same medium with addition of 20% T cell growth factor (Cellular Products, Inc., Buffalo, NY), and returnεd to the tissue culture flask. After the second wεek, half of the culture volume was removed, and the cells wεrε pellεtεd by cεntrifugation and resuspended in fresh culture medium with added dust mite antigen (lθ " w/v) and T cell growth factor (20% final concentration) and rεturned to the flask for another week. Subsequently, the cεlls wεre maintained in complete medium (RPMI with 5% FCS, 10 mM Hεpεs buffεr, pH 7.4, 4 mM glutamine, 5 x 10 M 2-mercaptoethanol, 100 units/ml penicillin and 100 ug/ml streptomycin, 20% T cell growth factor and 10 /ml mitomycin-treated heterologous feeder cells). Each week half the culturε volume was removed and the cells were resuspεnded in complete medium and returned to the flask. Heterologous feeder cells were prepared by isolating MNC from a normal donor and treating them at 5 x 10 cells/ml with mitomycin 50 ug/ml for 30 minutes at 37°C. Cells were then washed four times in HBSS, and resuspended in RPMI 1640 containing 25% FCS and 5% dimethylsulfoxide. Cells were aliquotεd and frozεn at % -80°C. Before use, cells were washed four times in HBSS, and then suspendεd in RPMI 1640. Culturε supernatants were removed after 27 and 21 days for lines A-MLB and A-RA respεctivεly, dialyzed as described above, and tested for inhibition of HRF- induced histamine relεase as described earlier. The results of this experimεnt, shown in FIG. 18, demonstrate that the two cell lines devεlopεd by this procedure produced a significant amount of HRIF. The modest inhibitory effect of conditioned medium (RPMI with 5% fetal calf sεrum, 10 mM Hepes buffer, pH 7.4, 4 mM glutamine, 5 x 10~ M 2-mercaptoethanol, 100 units/ml penicillin and 100 ug/ml streptomycin, 20% T cell growth factor) is also shown. Control histamine release was twenty percent. Unfortunately, thεsε cεll lines werε lost to contamination. However, these experiments provided the basis for a preferred method described below. B. Generation Of Cell Line Producing HRIF, Designated JW-RW Mononuclear cells from a patient on immunothεrapy with ragweed pollen were isolated as dεscribεd abovε and resuspended at 5 x 10 per 10 ml in RPMI plus Hepεs, glutamine, 2-mercaptoethanol, penicillin and streptomycin (as describεd abovε) plus 15% FCS, and stimulatεd with ragwεεd antigεn (mixed giant, short and western ragweed plus marsh eldεr pollens from Greεr _7 Laboratories, Lenoir, NC at 10 w/v) for two weεks at 37°C. in Corning 25 squarε cm tissue culture flasks. Then half the medium was removed, centrifugεd at 300 X g for 10 minutes at room tempεraturε, and cεlls resuspended in the samε volume of fresh RPMI-1640 mεdium with recombinant interleukin 2, 10 units pεr ml (rIL-2 from Cellular Products, Inc.). Additionally, 10 mitomycin-treatεd heterologous cells (prepared as described above except that they were stored frozen in 50% FCS) were added as feeder cells and the cell suspension was added back to the same flask. After the third week of culture, half the medium was removed again, cells centrifuged, resuspended in fresh RPMI plus Hepes, glutamine " , 2-mercaptoethanol, _7 penicillin, streptomycin, ragweed pollen 10 w/v, rIL-2 A 10 units per ml, 15% FCS, and 10 * per ml feeαεr cεlls , addεd back to the flask, and cultured for the fourth week. Subsequently the cells were maintained in RPMI plus Hepes, glutamine, 2-mercaptoethanol, penicillin, streptomycin, FCS, rIL-2, and feedεr cεlls as dεscribεd above freshly added weεkly εxcept that during the sixth wεek ragweed pollen was added for a third exposure. This cell line produced significant amounts of HRIF but no HRF whεn assayεd according to thε procεdure described in Example I E. above (FIG. 19). Although proliferation of these cells is modest, viability as well as the capacity to synthesize HRIF has been documented for 110 days. Supernatants were testεd at a final dilution of 1:6. A typical dose response curve for supernatant is shown at the right of FIG. 19. C. Genεration of Cell lines Producing HRIF, Designated WP-RW Mononuclear cells from another allergic patient on aintenancε ragwεεd immunothεrapy were obtained from 50 ml of blood as described above. A T-enrichεd population was obtainεd by rosεtting with AET-trεatεd shεεp rεd < blood cells according to the method of Pellegrino, et al., Clin. Immunol. Immunopath., 3:324 (1975). Isolated T cells werε incubated at a concentration 5 x 10 D /ml in a ragweed antigen-coated Petri dish for 2 hours to separate antigen binding T cells according to thε mεthod of Taniguehi and Miller, J. ΞXP. Med.. 146:1450 (1977). The unbound cells werε removed from the dish carεfully and the antigen-bound cells werε isolatεd by repeated pipetting. Antigen-binding cells were cultured at a concentration of 1 x 10 /ml in RPMI 1640 containing 10% -7 FCS and ragweed antigen 10 w/v for 7 days. From the second weεk on, thε samε protocol was followεd as described above for JW-RW. This procedure that utilizes εnrichεd antigεn- binding T cells also produced substantial quantitiεs of HRIF, but no HRF, as dεpictεd in FIG. 20. These experiments demonstrate the HRIF is synthesized by cultured antigen-binding T cells. EXAMPLE VI CLINICAL APPLICATIONS Due to precautions necessarily attendant to development of evεry new pharmaceutical, the histamine release inhibitory factor of the presεnt invention has not yet been testεd in a clinical sεtting in human subjects. Therεforε, thε in. vitro activity of this factor in inhibiting histaminε rεlεasε has been used to demonstrate the utility of the prεsεnt invention as a pharmacologic agent since the histamine release assay is acceptεd by thosε of skill in thε art as a rεliable correlate of in. vivo histamine release. The following prophetic embodiments represεnt the best mode ύ>9 contemplated by the prεsent inventors for carrying out the practice of the invention in various clinical settings, First, it is believed that the histamine release inhibitory factor will prove to be useful in treating numerous diseasεs in which mast cells and basophils are involved, especially the allεrgic disorders. In particular, thεsε include, but are not limited to, bronchial asthma, allergic rhinitis, conjunctivitis, and urticaria. Although the best mode of administering the factor will depend on thε particular clinical situation, it is beliεvεd that thε factor may be most easily administered by formulating it together with a suitable pharmaceutical excipient and administering the formulation topically. For example, the factor could be formulated as a component of an aerosol for intranasal or intrabronchial administration. These delivery devices might be modified to be powered by freon. This mode of administration may be particularly useful in trεating certain allergic diseases, for examplε, allergic rhinitis and bronchial asthma. The factor could also be ad inisterεd topically to thε skin or εye; this formulation might prove effective for allergic disorders at thesε sites. Alternatively, the factor could be formulatεd for intravenous, intramuscular, subcutaneous, intradermal, or intraarticular injection; such injections might be usεd to trεat inflammatory rεactions at thεsε sitεs in which thε triggering of mediator release from basophils and mast cells is involved in the pathogenesis of the illnεss. In all thεse formulations, suitable excipients, for example, saline or physiologic buffers, are known to thosε of skill in the art and may bε usεd. Of course, in some cases, it may be desirablε to incorporate a presεrvativε into this excipient. Methods for incorporating therapeutic agents into pharmaceutical vehicles are believed to be well within the skill of the art. As stated above, the invention has not yet been used in clinical settings. The inventors have relied upon the published results with other cytokinεs in predicting, the acceptablε pharmacεutical dosage for HRIF. The most relevant studies of an aerosol werε the use of intranasal alpha 2-interfεron to prεvεnt viral upper respiratory infections. Douglas, et al.,' (New Enol. J. Med., 314:65 (1986)) and Haydεn, et al., (New Engϊ. J. Med. , 314:71 (1986)) administered 5 X 10 6 international units (IU) per day for an effective response. This cytokine is currently licεnsεd for treatment of hairy cell leukemia at a dose of 3 X 10 IU per day by intramuscular or subcutaneous administration. Nathan, et al., (Naw Engl. J. Mεd. , 315:6 (1986)) administered 20,000 to 200,000 U of interferon-gamma intradεrmally to parsons with lεpromatous leprosy for a therapeutic response. The devεlopmεnt and clinical usε of interferons has rεcεntly bεen reviεwed by Baron, et al.. The Intεrfεron Svstεm: A Currεnt Rεviεw to 1987, University of Texas Press, Austin. As rεportεd in Nεw Engl. J. Med., 313:1485 (1985), intεrlεukin-2 has been administered intravenously to patients with cancer at doses of 10 4 to 105 units per kg over eight hours and maximal dose of up to 3.3 X 10 per kg. Finally, Vakhan-Raj, et al., (New Engl. J. Med. , 317:1545 (1987)) recently injected G/M CSF by continuous infusion at 6 2 doses of 1.5 to 25 X 10 units/M of body surface for an effective response in patients with myelodysplasia. Therefore, the inventors would propose that the 4 effective dose of HRIF will be from about 10 to about 7 10 units. Furthεrmorε, thε invεntors would dεfinε a unit in the traditional manner: 1 unit causes 50% inhibition of near maximal histamine release from HRF- stimulatεd basophils. The exact doses of HRIF to be used in a particular clinical application must be determined by accepted pharmaceutical methods known to thosε skillεd in thε pharmaceutical arts. Furthermore, it is also contemplated that the factor of the present invention may be used to monitor the progress of patients treated with immunotherapy. As indicated above, the present inventors have provided evidencε suggesting that immunotherapy may prefεrεntially induce synthesis of the factor and that clinical improvement of allergic symptoms correlates with increased factor synthesis. Therefore, to monitor HRIF synthesis by patient cells, patient cεlls may bε removed and cultured to produce HRIF as dεscribεd above. The HRIF activity produced by the patient cells could then be compared to a standard preparation of the factor in order to determine whether patient cells arε activated to produce the inhibitory factor. Additionally, it is contemplated that the factor of this invention may be monitored directly in biological fluids: for examplε, in blood and its components, respiratory secretions or washings, urine, or joint fluid. The developmεnt of a radioimmunoassay would significantly facilitate these measurεmεnts. * * * The foregoing description of the invention has been directed to particular preferred embodimεnts in accordance with the requirements of the patent statutes and for purposes of explanation and illustration. It 7Z will be apparent, however, to those skilled in the art that many modifications and changes may bε madε without departing from the scopε and thε spirit of thε invεntion. For examplε, numerous methods for purifying the factor may be used. In addition, in the futurε, thε gene encoding the anti-allergic cytokine may be identifiεd and clonεd into a rεcombinant vεctor and εxprεssεd to producε a rεcombinant cytokine having the desirεd activity. Furthεrmorε, thε structural dεtεrminants critical for HRIF activity may bε dεtermined and synthetic peptidεs having HRIF function prεparεd. In addition, it is also likεly that othεr mεthods for producing cell lines that produce the cytokine may be devised. For examplε, the cell lines described above may be fused with a continuously growing transformed cell -line, for εxamplε, thε cell linε CEM, to producε a continuously growing hybrid cell line. It will further bε apparεnt that the invention may also be utilized, with suitable modifications within the state of the art. Thesε, and othεr modifications of the invention will be apparεnt to thosε skillεd in the art. It is the Applicants' intention in thε following claims to covεr all such equivalent modifications and variations which fall within the true spirit and scope of thε invention.

Claims: WHAT IS CLAIMED IS: 1. A composition comprising a substantially purified human histamine release inhibitory factor wherein said factor further is an antagonist of histamine releasing factor. 2. A composition comprising a substantially purified human histamine relεasε inhibitory factor having the following characteristics: (a) a molecular wεight of about 8,000-10,000 daltons as determined by gel exclusion chromatography; (b) lability upon trεatmεnt with trypsin or chymotrypsin; (c) stability whεn heated at 60°C. for one hour; and (d) stability upon treatment with neuraminidase. 3. A composition comprising a substantially purified proteinaceous factor, said factor exhibiting biologic properties which include inhibition of allεrgic mεdiator release from human basophils triggered with histamine releasing factor. 7 -t 4. A composition comprising a substantially purified proteinacεous factor, said factor εxhibiting biologic propεrties which include inhibition of allergic mediator releasε from human mast cells triggered with histamine releasing factor. 5. The composition of claim 3 or claim 4 wherein the factor is further defined as having a molecular weight of about 8,000-10,000 dalHons, as determined by gel exclusion chromatography. 6. The composition of claim 3 or claim 4 wherein the factor is further defined as binding to DEAE cellulose equilibrated with 1 mM phosphate buffer, pH about 7.4, and as being eluted from the gel with about 100 to about 200 mM NaCl. 7. Thε composition of claim 3 or claim 4 whεrein thε factor is furthεr defined as not substantially inhibiting allergic mediator rεlεasε from cεlls triggered with antibodies specific for IgE. 8. The composition of claim 3 or claim 4 wherεin the factor is further defined as not substantially inhibiting allergic mediator release from cells triggered with concanavalin A. 9. The composition of claim 3 or claim 4 wherεin thε factor is defined further as not substantially inhibiting allergic mediator release from cells triggered with phorboi myristate acetate. 10. The composition of claim 3 or claim 4 wherein the factor is defined further as not substantially inhibiting allergic mediator rεlease from cεlls triggered with C5a. 11. The composition of claim 3 or claim 4 further defined as being retainεd by a dialysis mεmbrane relatively impermeable to molecules having a molecular weight greater than about 3,500 daltons. 12. The composition of claim 3 or claim 4 wherεin said biologic propertiεs include lability of allergic mediator releasε inhibitory activity upon treatment with trypsin or chymotrypsin. 13. The composition of claim 3 or claim 4 wherεin said biologic propεrtiεs includε stability of allergic mediator release inhibitory activity when hεatεd at 60°C. for onε hour. 14. The composition of claim 3 or claim 4 wherεin thε allergic mediator is histamine. 15. The composition of claim 3 or claim 4 wherein the factor is further definεd as a human factor. 7 16, Thε composition of claim 3 or claim 4 whεrεin said factor is obtained by a process comprising: (a) preparing a human mononuclear cell conditioned supernatant; (b) fractionating the conditionεd supεrnatant to provide a fraction which includεs the factor in substantially purified form; and (c) collecting the fraction. 17. The composition of claim 16 wherein step (a) comprises: (a) obtaining a mononuclear fraction of leukocytεs from an individual; (b) culturing the mononuclear cell fraction in an appropriate medium to produce a conditioned supernatant; and (c) separating the supernatant from the cultured cells. 18. The composition of claim 17 wherein the leukocytεs are obtained from peripheral blood. 19. The composition of claim 16 wherεin said supernatant is fractionated into protεin fractions of selected molecular weight ranges to providε a fraction which includes the factor in substantially purified form. 5 20. The composition of claim 16 wherein said fraction is selected by assaying fractions for histamine release inhibitory factor using human mast cεlls or human basophils triggered with histamine release factor. 10 21. The composition of claim 16.wherein the mononuclear cells are cultured in a tissue culture medium containing histamine. 15 22. A composition comprising a substantially purified proteinacεous factor, said factor εxhibiting biologic properties which include the following: 20. (a) an ability to inhibit histamine release from human histamine containing proallergic cells; (b) a molecular weight of approximately 8,000- 10,000 daltons as determined by gel exclusion 25 chromatography; (c) lability of histamine releasε inhibitory activity upon treatmεnt with trypsin or chymotrypsin; 0 (d) stability of histamine release inhibitory activity upon heating to 60°C. for one hour; and Id (e) stability of histamine releasε inhibitory activity upon trεatment with neuraminidase, 23. A composition comprising a substantially purified proteinaceous factor, said factor exhibiting biologic propertiεs which include the following: (a) an ability to inhibit histamine relεasε from human h-istamine containing proallergic cells triggεred with histaminε releasing factor; (b) a molecular weight of approximately 8,000- 10,000 daltons as dεtεrminεd by gεl exclusion chromatography; (c) lability of histaminε rεlεasε inhibitor"y activity upon trεatmεnt with trypsin or chymotrypsin; (d) stability of histaminε rεlεasε inhibitory activity upon hεating to 60°C. for onε hour; and (e) stability of histaminε rεlease inhibitory activity upon treatment with neuraminidasε. 24. A composition comprising a substantially purifiεd proteinacεous factor corresponding biologically to a histamine release inhibitory factor produced by cell line RW-JW. 25. A composition comprising a substantially purified proteinaceous histamine release inhibitory factor produced by cell line RW-JW. 26. A cell line producing histamine rεlεasε inhibitory factor corrεsponding biologically to that produced by cell line RW-JW. 27. A human cell line RW-JW. 28. A method for inhibiting relεasε of an allεrgic mεdiator from human histaminε containing proallεrgic cεlls comprising εxposing such cells to the composition of any one of claims 1 or 2, 3, 4 or 22. 29. The method of claim 28 wherein the allergic mediator is histaminε. 30. A therapeutic preparation comprising a pharmaceutically acceptablε carriεr and a substantially purifiεd histamine relεase inhibitory factor, said factor definεd as an antagonist of histamine releasing factor. 31. A method for treating allergic individuals comprising administering to such individuals a therapeutically acceptable dose of the compound of claim 30. 30 32. A mεthod for trεating individuals suffaring from mast call or basophil dependent disorders comprising administering to such individuals a therapεutically accεptablε dosε of the compound of claim 30, 33. A method for inhibiting release of allεrgic mεdiators from human basophils or human mast cεlls comprising exposing the cells to an effεctivε amount of histaminε release inhibitory factor. 34. A method for preparing a human histamine release inhibitory factor comprising: (a) obtaining a mononuclear cell fraction of leukocytes from an individual; (b) culturing the mononuclear cell fraction in a suitable culture medium to producε a conditioned supernatant; (c) assaying the supernatant for histamine release inhibitory activity ? and (d) selεcting a supεrnatant having histaminε release inhibitory factor. 35. The method of claim 34 wherεin stεp (c) furthεr comprisεs: (a) dividing a call suspεnsion containing human mast cells or human basophils into at least two portions; SI (b) exposing the cells in the first portion to the conditioned supernatant; (c) exposing the cells in both portions to a composition containing histamine releasing factor; (d) measuring thε amount of histamine released by the cεlls in each portion; and (e) comparing the amount of histamine released by the cells in the first portion to the amount of histamine released by cells in the second portion. 36. The method of claim 34 or 35 wherεin the leukocytes are obtained from peripheral blood. 37. A method for preparing a human histamine relεase inhibitory factor comprising: (a) obtaining a mononuclεar call fraction of leukocytes from an individual; (b) culturing the mononuclεar cell fraction in a suitable culture medium containing histamine; (c) substantially reducing the histamine concεntration in thε conditionεd supεrnatant; (d) assaying thε supεrnatant for histaminε releasε inhibitory activity; and 8Z- (ε) sεlεcting supernatants having histamine release inhibitory activity. 38. The method of claim 37 wherein step (d) further comprises: (a) dividing a cell suspension containing human mast cells or human basophils into at least two portions; (b) exposing the cells in the first portion to the conditioned supernatant; (c) εxposing thε cεlls in both portions to a composition containing histaminε releasing factor; (d) measuring the amount of histamine relεasεd by the cells in each portion; and (e) comparing the amount of histamine relεasεd by the cells in the first portion to thε amount of histaminε rεlεasεd by cεlls in thε sεcond portion. 39. Thε method of claim 37 or 38 wherεin thε lεukocytεs are obtained from periphεral blood. 40. The method of claim 37 or 38 wherεin thε histaminε is present at a concentration of about 10 M to about 10 "10 M. 41. A method for producing a human histamine inhibitory factor producing cell line comprising: (a) obtaining a mononuclear cell fraction of leukocytes from an individual; (b) culturing the mononuclear cell fraction in a suitable tissue culture medium containing an antigen; (c) maintaining the cultured cells in a culture medium with interleukin 2 and feeder cells; and (d) assaying the cultured cεlls for thε ability to producε histamine relεasε inhibitory factor. 42. The method of claim 40 wherein the lεukocytεs arε obtainεd from pεriphεral blood. 43. The method of claim 40 wherein the lεukocytes are obtained from an individual undεrgoing immunothεrapy and the antigen corresponds to an antigenic componεnt of thε immunothεrapeutic preparation. 44. A clinical assay adapted for monitoring or diagnosing individuals suspεctεd of having an allεrgic disease which comprises: (a) obtaining a mononuclεar cell fraction of leukocytes from an individual; 3 (b) culturing the mononuclear cell fraction in a suitable culture medium to produce a conditioned supernatant; and (c) assaying the supernatant for histamine release inhibitory activity. 45. The method of claim 44 wherεin stεp (c) furthεr comprisεs: (a) dividing a cell suspεnsion containing human mast cεlls or human basophils into at lεast two portions; (b) exposing the cells in the first portion to thε conditioned supernatant; (c) exposing the cells in both portions to a composition containing histamine relεasing factor; (d) mεasuring the amount of histaminε rεlεasεd by the cεlls in εach portion; and (e) comparing the amount of histamine relεasεd by the cells in the first portion to the amount of histamine relεased by cells in the second portion. 46. A clinical assay adapted for monitoring or diagnosing individuals suspectεd of having an allεrgic disease which comprises: (a) obtaining a biological fluid from an individual; and (b) assaying the fluid for histamine rεlease inhibitory activity. 47. The method of claim 46 wherein step (b) further comprises: (a) dividing a cell suspension containing human mast cells or human basophils into at least two portions; (b) exposing the cεlls in the first portion to the biological fluid; (c) exposing the cells in both portions to a composition containing histaminε rεlεasing factor; (d) mεasuring the amount of histamine released by the cells in each portion; and (e) comparing the amount of histamine released by the cells in the first portion to the amount of histaminε releasεd by cells in the second portion.

Inventors: ALAM RAFEUL, GRANT J ANDREW, LETT-BROWN MICHAEL A, ALAM, RAFEUL, GRANT, J., ANDREW, LETT-BROWN, MICHAEL, A.
Applicants: UNIV TEXAS, BOARD OF REGENTS, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SYSTEM
Application year: 1989
Main classification: A61K45
IPC codes: A61K38, C07K14, C12N5