title: Recombinant interferon-gamma inhibits the in vitro proliferation of human myeloma cells.
abstract: Interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha), interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and dexamethasone (DEX) have shown anti-tumour effects in multiple myeloma (MM) cells. Bone marrow plasma cells from 39 MM patients were cultured to clarify the intensity and specific activity of each compound on bromo-deoxyuridine (BrdUrd) uptake and immunoglobulin (Ig) secretion. BrdUrd uptake was inhibited by recombinant human IFN-gamma (100 U/ml) and by DEX (10(-6) M). The stimulation index (StI), i.e. labelling index (LI) of treated samples/controls, was 0.49 +/- 0.09 (mean +/- standard error of the mean, M +/- SEM), P = 0.0003, and 0.52 +/- 0.07 (M +/- SEM), P < 0.0001, respectively. Ig secretion was reduced by IFN-alpha (100 U/ml) and DEX. The secretion index (SI), i.e. Ig quantitation of treated samples/controls, was 0.04 (M +/- SEM), P < 0.0001, and 0.52 +/- 0.04 (M +/- SEM), P < 0.0001, respectively. Finally, IFN-gamma inhibits BrdUrd uptake only and IFN-alpha secretion only. In 18 patients the simultaneous addition of IFN-alpha plus IFN-gamma mainly parallel the effect of IFN-gamma on BrdUrd uptake and IFN-alpha on secretion, but not result in any additive or synergistic effect, though both BrdUrd uptake and Ig secretion were decreased to about the same extent as with DEX. These data indicate that the combination of IFN-alpha plus IFN-gamma and DEX are the strongest inhibitors of both BrdUrd uptake and secretion. Since IFN-alpha and IFN-gamma appear to have a different mechanism of action, their combined use could be considered as a possible new treatment strategy.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Medicina e Oncologia Sperimentale, Ospedale Molinette, Torino, Italy.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Palumbo
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Battaglio
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Napoli
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Omedè
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fusaro
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bruno
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Boccadoro
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pileri
mesh_terms: D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000473:pathology; D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine / Q000378:metabolism; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000378:metabolism; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000494:pharmacology; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000494:pharmacology; D009101:Multiple Myeloma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D009194:Myeloma Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D007136:Immunoglobulins; D007370:Interferon Type I; D015850:Interleukin-6; D009194:Myeloma Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D003907:Dexamethasone; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D001973:Bromodeoxyuridine