[An analysis of lymphokine gene expression within astrocytoma].
Expression of the lymphokine genes in human astroglial cell lineage was studied. Primers for 9 different human lymphokines, from IL-1 alpha to IL-8, were used to analyze RNA transcripts in 5 cultured human astrocytoma, one neuroblastoma cell line and 4 fresh brain specimens by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). mRNA transcripts of neither IL-1 nor IL-3, the biological activities of which were observed in rat primary cultured astrocytes, could be detected within these cell lines. Two out of 5 unstimulated astrocytomas, U138 and U373, expressed IL-6 genes. IL-8 gene was detected within U87, U138, U251, U373 glioma cells. After stimulation with IL-1 beta, all astrocytoma and one neuroblastoma cell line expressed IL-6 and IL-8 genes. In addition to the cultured cells, we examined IL-6 and IL-8 gene expression within human malignant astrocytoma specimens. The result shows that three out of four glioma specimens expressed IL-6 and IL-8 genes. From these results, it is suspected that astroglial cell-derived IL-6 or IL-8 may participate in local immune reactions accompanying infection, degeneration and malignancies in the central nervous system.
Nitta
T
T
Department of Neurology and Neurological Science, Stanford University School of Medicine, California.
Steinman
L
L
Sato
K
K
D001254:Astrocytoma / Q000235:genetics*; D001483:Base Sequence; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000235:genetics; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000235:genetics; D008222:Lymphokines / Q000235:genetics*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D015850:Interleukin-6; D016209:Interleukin-8; D008222:Lymphokines; D012333:RNA, Messenger