Paracrine rather than autocrine regulation of myeloma-cell growth and differentiation by interleukin-6.
To explore the mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of human multiple myeloma (MM), we investigated the potential role of interleukin-6 (IL-6), a B-cell differentiation factor in humans, and a growth factor for rat/mouse heterohybridomas and murine plasmacytomas. Using a heterohybridoma assay, we found that two well-documented human myeloma cell lines, RPMI 8226 and U266, did not secrete IL-6 and did not express RNA messengers for IL-6. Neutralizing antibodies to IL-6 did not inhibit their proliferation, and recombinant IL-6 did not stimulate it. Taken together, these data show that IL-6 is not the autocrine growth factor of these human myeloma cell lines. A high production of IL-6 was found in the bone marrows of patients with fulminating MM, compared with patients with inactive or slightly active MM, or to healthy donors. This IL-6 production was assigned to adherent cells of the bone-marrow environment but not to myeloma cells. A spontaneous proliferation of myeloma cells freshly isolated from patients was observed in short-term cultures. Recombinant IL-6 was able to amplify it two- to threefold. The spontaneous proliferation of the myeloma cells was inhibited by anti-IL-6 antibodies and reinduced by recombinant IL-6. After 2 to 3 weeks of culture, the myeloma-cell proliferation progressively declined and no IL-6-dependent myeloma cell lines could be obtained despite repeated additions of fresh IL-6 and costimulation with other cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF)beta, or IL-1 beta. These data demonstrated a paracrine but not autocrine regulation of the growth and differentiation of myeloma cells by IL-6.
INSERM U291, Zolad, Montpellier, France.
B
B
Klein
X G
XG
Zhang
M
M
Jourdan
J
J
Content
F
F
Houssiau
L
L
Aarden
M
M
Piechaczyk
R
R
Bataille
D000368:Aged; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000378:metabolism; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects*; D002460:Cell Line; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6; D007378:Interleukins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D010950:Plasma Cells / Q000502:physiology
D015850:Interleukin-6; D007378:Interleukins