title: Serum interleukin-8 (IL-8) is elevated in patients with metastatic melanoma and correlates with tumour load.
abstract: It was recently demonstrated that IL-8 is produced by melanoma cell lines and acts as an essential autocrine growth factor. We studied the constitutive production of IL-8 by melanoma cell lines and the serum concentrations in patients with metastatic melanoma. All of 10 melanoma cell lines investigated constitutively produced IL-8 (mean 315 +/- 58 pg/10(5) cells per 24 h. IL-8 was detectable (mean 159 +/- 13.1 pg/ml) in the serum of 21 out of 56 patients by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA; detection limit < 100 pg/ml). There was a significant correlation with tumour load, whereas no correlation with metastatic sites was found. No increased IL-8 levels were seen in healthy controls or patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma. These results suggest that IL-8 is constitutively produced by melanoma cells in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine V (Haematology/Oncology/Rheumatology), University of Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Scheibenbogen
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Möhler
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Haefele
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hunstein
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Keilholz
mesh_terms: D016207:Cytokines / Q000494:pharmacology; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006133:Growth Substances; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000494:pharmacology; D016209:Interleukin-8 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood*; D008545:Melanoma / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D006133:Growth Substances; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D016209:Interleukin-8; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D007371:Interferon-gamma