title: Interleukin-2 differentially affects the proliferation of a hormone-dependent and a hormone-independent human breast cancer cell line in vitro and in vivo.
abstract: Direct in vitro and in vivo effects of the lymphokine, interleukin-2 (IL-2), on hormone-dependent (MCF-7) and- independent (MDA-231) human breast cancer cell proliferation were investigated. In vitro, picomolar concentrations of IL-2 directly inhibited MCF-7 cell proliferation after 12 days of culture, while nanomolar doses of IL-2 significantly stimulated MCF-7 cell growth over the same time period. In addition, micromolar concentrations of IL-2 had virtually no effect on the in vitro proliferation of MCF-7 cells. In parallel in vitro growth experiments, the hormone-independent cells, MDA-231, were not affected by IL-2 regardless of concentration. IL-2 treatment of overiectomized, estrogen-treated nude mice, burdened with MCF-7 or MDA-231 tumors, inhibited MCF-7 tumor growth, but had no effect on MDA-231 tumors. Examination of T, B and natural killer (NK) cell function in these animals indicated that the interleukin-2-mediated effect on MCF-7 cell growth in vivo is independent of the proliferative abilities of these lymphoid cells, suggesting that IL-2 may directly affect the growth of these hormone-dependent human breast cancer cells.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Psychobiology Branch, NIMH, Bethesda, Maryland 20892.
authors.forename: G F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Paciotti
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tamarkin
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D000818:Animals; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002460:Cell Line; D004967:Estrogens / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000502:physiology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D051379:Mice; D008819:Mice, Nude; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous
chemical_list: D004967:Estrogens; D007376:Interleukin-2; D011994:Recombinant Proteins