Expression of cytokine mRNA transcripts in renal cell carcinoma.
Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a solid tumour of the kidney and is the most common renal neoplasm. Despite the presence of tumour infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) in RCC, these tumours continue to progress in vivo suggesting a poor host immune response to the tumour, and the suppression of TIL effector function. Cytokines are key molecules that modulate the function of T cells. The possibility is investigated that the local production of cytokines in RCC contributes to immunosuppression of TIL. The expression of pro-inflammatory (IFN-gamma/IL-2) and immunosuppressive (IL-10/TGF-beta) cytokine mRNA transcripts was determined in RCC, normal kidney and peripheral blood of RCC patients using a semi-quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) with cytokine-specific primers. Following Southern blot hybridization of the PCR products with internal radiolabelled oligonucleotide probes, cytokine transcript levels were measured by densitometry and expressed relative to the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase densitometry score. With the exception of IL-10, there were no differences in expression of cytokine mRNA transcripts between the peripheral blood of patients and normal healthy individuals. It was found that TGF-beta transcripts were well represented in normal kidney and RCC. In contrast, the expression of IFN-gamma transcripts, while low in the majority of samples, was significantly increased in RCC when compared to normal kidney (P=0.05). The IL-2 and IL-10 transcripts showed a more variable expression in normal kidney and RCC, with no significant differences in expression between the sample groups. The data demonstrating pro-inflammatory and immunosuppressive cytokine expression in RCC do not support a prominent immunosuppressive cytokine profile in these tumours.
Department of Renal Medicine, Princess Alexandra Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. mdcolive@dingo.uq.edu.au
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D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002292:Carcinoma, Renal Cell / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D007668:Kidney / Q000276:immunology; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics
D016207:Cytokines; D007376:Interleukin-2; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016212:Transforming Growth Factor beta; D016753:Interleukin-10; D007371:Interferon-gamma