Correlation of interleukin 6 with interleukin 1alpha in human mammary tumours, but not with oestrogen receptor expression.
The authors hypothesized that IL-6 production by breast tumour tissues would correlate with OR-positivity, as only those tumours that contain oestrogen receptors (OR) and use oestrogen as a mitogen would benefit from locally increased oestrogen. IL-6 increases the activity of the 17beta-oxidoreductase, which converts oestrone to oestradiol, a process that may contribute to the increased concentration of oestrogen around breast tumours. IL-1alpha upregulates IL-6 production; therefore, the correlation between IL-1alpha and IL-6 immunoreactivity and OR-positivity in paraffin-embedded human breast tumours was further investigated.The results indicate IL-6 immunoreactivity in 40 of 66 paraffin embedded breast tumour specimens, a finding which did not correlate with the clinical evaluation of oestrogen receptor positivity (P=0.32 by Fisher's exact test). However, there was a correlation between IL-6 and IL-1alpha immunoreactivity (P<0.05). To study an in vitro model for this phenomenon, the IL-6 immunoreactivity in available cell lines was tested. Surprisingly, no production of IL-6 protein or mRNA could be detected in any of the cell lines, and this did not change with IL-1alpha stimulation. Therefore, none of the cell lines apparently reflected the immunological potential observed in the majority of surgical specimens.
Robinson
E K
EK
Department of Tumor Biology, The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, Houston 77030, USA.
Sneige
N
N
Grimm
E A
EA
D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000378:metabolism*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D007375:Interleukin-1; D015850:Interleukin-6; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D012334:RNA, Neoplasm; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen