title: Genes for IFN-beta-2 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor, and IL-1 are expressed at high levels in the organs of normal individuals.
abstract: The gene of a cytokine designated IFN-beta-2, or IL-6, and recently identified as identical to the B cell-stimulatory factor 2, is transcribed at high levels in the spleen, liver, kidney, and peripheral blood leukocytes of normal individuals. The number of IFN-beta-2/IL-6 transcripts present endogenously in normal human tissues (0.6 to 16 copies/cell) is comparable to that present in normal cells induced in vitro with human rTNF. This is in marked contrast to the absence of detectable IFN-beta-1 transcripts (less than 0.0003 copy/cell) in the same samples of human tissue. The expression of the IFN-beta-2/IL-6 gene is closely associated with that of two other cytokines TNF, and IL-1. Thus, significant levels of IFN-beta-2/IL-6, TNF, IL-1 alpha, and IL-1 beta, mRNA were detected in all the samples of normal tissue tested and those samples which contained high levels of IFN-beta/IL-6 mRNA also contained high levels of TNF, and IL-1 beta mRNA. These results suggest that these cytokines may function in consort as regulators of cellular growth and function in normal tissues.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Viral Oncology, Institut de Recherches Scientifiques sur le Cancer, Villejuif, France.
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Tovey
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Content
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gresser
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gugenheim
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Blanchard
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Guymarho
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Poupart
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gigou
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Fiers
mesh_terms: D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005796:Genes; D006801:Humans; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D015850:Interleukin-6; D007378:Interleukins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D007668:Kidney / Q000378:metabolism; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D009928:Organ Specificity; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013154:Spleen / Q000378:metabolism; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D007375:Interleukin-1; D015850:Interleukin-6; D007378:Interleukins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha