title: Interleukin-6 secreting human pituitary adenomas in vitro.
abstract: Interleukin-6 was found to be secreted from seven out of ten human pituitary tumours cultured in vitro. These tumours included prolactin-secreting, growth hormone-secreting and clinically non-functioning adenomas. The amount of Interleukin-6 secreted was variable from 58 to 10,000 units per ml. in medium removed after a four-day incubation under basal conditions. Four tumours secreted IL-6 in excess of 500U/ml, three of which were clinically non-functioning, but each secreted follicle stimulating hormone in vitro. This is the first report of a cytokine growth factor being released basally by human pituitary tumours.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Sheffield Medical School, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: T H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Justice
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Price
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chapman
mesh_terms: D000236:Adenoma / Q000378:metabolism*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000378:metabolism; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism*; D011388:Prolactin / Q000378:metabolism; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D015850:Interleukin-6; D011388:Prolactin; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone; D013006:Growth Hormone