Messenger RNA expression of the immunosuppressive cytokine IL-10 in human gliomas.
Interleukin 10 (IL-10) was initially discovered on the basis of its ability to suppress cytokine synthesis. Additionally, it can exert immunosuppressive effects on a variety of cell types. Because patients with malignant gliomas present with a general impairment of the immune system, we investigated IL-10 expression in the glioma tissue. Because expression of IL-10 and IL-6 is associated in hematopoietic cells and IL-6 can act as an autocrine growth stimulator for glioblastoma cell lines, we looked in addition for a relationship between IL-10 and IL-6 expression. Using a quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction, IL-10 and IL-6 mRNA levels were determined in 37 glial tumors of different grades including 2 recurrencies, 3 specimens from normal brain tissue, and 3 glioblastoma cell lines. Expression of IL-10 mRNA was demonstrable in all tumors as well as in normal brain. High grade tumors and recurrent cases expressed significantly higher amounts of IL-10-specific mRNA compared with low grade tumors, whereas 2 of 3 cell lines showed only weak constitutive expression, mRNA for IL-6 was found in 86.5% of all gliomas with a correlation concerning the expression levels for both cytokines in 69% of gliomas. We suggest that IL-10 may contribute to the progression of astrocytomas by suppressing the patient's immune response, whereas IL-6 provides an additional growth advantage.
Huettner
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Institute of Pathology, Neuropathology, University of Würzburg, Germany.
Paulus
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Roggendorf
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D001483:Base Sequence; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000378:metabolism; D005910:Glioma / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000378:metabolism*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D015850:Interleukin-6; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016753:Interleukin-10