title: Constitutive IL-2 expression in HTLV-I-infected leukaemic T cell lines.
abstract: An IL-2 autocrine growth circuit has been proposed as a major mechanism in HTLV-I-related leukaemogenesis. We have developed a polymerase chain reaction combined with reverse transcription RT-PCR to detect IL-2 transcripts and a sensitive immunostaining method for IL-2 protein. Combination of these two methods with in situ hybridization demonstrated that most cells of the T cell line IARC 301.5, whose proliferation is stimulated by autocrine IL-2, constitutively synthesize IL-2. This pattern was also found in the HTLV-I T cell lines HUT, MT2 and C 8166/45, and in the HTLV-I-negative T cell lines Jurkat and HSB2 but not MOLT4. Four non-lymphoid cell lines and cultured fibroblasts were negative, in agreement with the T cell specificity of IL-2 synthesis. Hence, most T cell lines tested, whether HTLV-I-infected or not, constitutively synthesize IL-2, suggesting a possible common feature of leukaemic T cell lines. The presence of IL-2 transcript and protein in most cells of the reacting cell lines is consistent with an autocrine process possibly involved at some stage in acquiring growth autonomy.
authors.affiliation: INSERM U.91, Hôpital Henri Mondor, Paris, France.
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Farcet
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lebargy
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lavignac
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gaulard
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dautry
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gazzolo
authors.forename: P H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Roméo
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Vainchenker
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D001483:Base Sequence; D006801:Humans; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*; D015459:Leukemia-Lymphoma, Adult T-Cell / Q000276:immunology*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / Q000235:genetics; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D007376:Interleukin-2; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012194:RNA-Directed DNA Polymerase