title: Expression of interleukin-1 and interleukin-1 receptor antagonists in endometrial cancer.
abstract: The cytokine interleukin-1 (IL-1) can inhibit growth of breast cancer cells in culture and promote cellular differentiation in synergism with other growth factors. A secreted IL-1 receptor antagonist (sIL-1ra) has been described and an intracellular version (icIL-1ra) has been cloned; both antagonists block IL-1-dependent responses. We compared mRNA expression of IL-1 and both receptor antagonists in normal and neoplastic endometrium. RNA was extracted from five benign endometrial and five endometrial cancer whole-tissue specimens, reverse transcribed into cDNA, then amplified by polymerase chain reaction using specific primers for IL-1 alpha, IL-1 beta, sIL-1ra, and icIL-1ra. IL-1 alpha and IL-1 beta were expressed in variable amounts in all tissues; there was no difference in expression between normal and cancer specimens. In contrast, high levels of icIL-1ra were expressed in four of five cancer specimens compared with none of five normal tissues (P = 0.02). There was no expression of sIL-1ra in cancer and normal tissues. These preliminary experiments suggest that IL-1 is ubiquitously expressed in endometrial tissues whereas endometrial cancer preferentially expresses icIL-1ra. IcIL-1ra may regulate IL-1-mediated events such as growth and differentiation in endometrial neoplasia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill 27599.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Van Le
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Haskill
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Jaffe
authors.forename: W C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Fowler
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D053590:Interleukin 1 Receptor Antagonist Protein; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D011506:Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis; D012795:Sialoglycoproteins; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: C507763:IL1RN protein, human; D053590:Interleukin 1 Receptor Antagonist Protein; D007375:Interleukin-1; D011506:Proteins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012795:Sialoglycoproteins