title: Spontaneous release of interleukin-6 by primary cultures of lymphoid and tumor cell populations purified from human ovarian carcinoma.
abstract: Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a cytokine that has been implicated as a growth factor in human ovarian carcinoma, yet the in vivo source of IL-6 in patients remains undefined. We measured IL-6 by ELISA in cell-free ascites (CFA) of 19 patients with ovarian carcinoma. IL-6 was detectable in all samples (mean level 3.3 ng/ml). To identify the cellular source of IL-6, we measured this cytokine by ELISA in 24-48 h supernatants of cultured lymphocyte-, macrophage-, and tumor cell-enriched populations purified from three solid ovarian carcinomas by centrifugal elutriation. All cell populations spontaneously released IL-6; however, tumor cells and tumor-associated macrophage released levels of IL-6 that greatly exceeded those released by tumor-associated lymphocytes. Kinetic studies revealed that IL-6 was detectable at 6 h and that levels increased in all cultures examined over a 48 h time course. These data suggest that both tumor and infiltrating host cells may be the source of the high levels of IL-6 found in carcinomatous ascites. Furthermore, although all three cell types examined may contribute to IL-6 production in patients with ovarian carcinoma, tumor cells are perhaps the most clinically significant source.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of California, Irvine 92717, USA.
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Burger
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Grosen
authors.forename: G R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Ioli
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Van Eden
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Berman
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Manetta
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Disaia
authors.forename: G A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Granger
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Gatanaga
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D001202:Ascitic Fluid / Q000276:immunology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018283:Cystadenocarcinoma, Papillary / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism*; D007700:Kinetics; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D015850:Interleukin-6