The Viscum album extract Iscador P does not cause an autocrine interleukin-6 loop in B-Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma cell lines.
BACKGROUND
Single cases of clinical observations suggest the efficacy of the Viscum album (VA) extract Iscador P in the treatment of follicular B-Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (B-NHL). A previously published study aroused a controversial dispute as it indicated that IL-6 serum levels are elevated following i.v. VA treatment. Increased IL-6 levels have been shown to promote the progression of B-cell neoplasia such as B-NHL. Objective of this study was to investigate whether the VA extract influences the expression of IL-6 and its receptor components in follicular B-NHL cell lines.


METHODS
Follicular B-NHL cell lines (WSU-NHL, DoHH-2) were incubated with clinically relevant doses of VA extract for up to 3 days. At specified time points (6, 24, 48, 72 h) samples were taken and the expression of IL-6 and its receptor components were analysed by real-time-RT-PCR, flow cytometry and ELISA.


RESULTS
Treatment of follicular B-NHL cell lines with VA extract did not alter the expression level of IL-6 and its' receptor components at any time and with any of the applied VA extract concentrations.


CONCLUSIONS
Clinically relevant doses of the VA extract do not trigger an autocrine or paracrine IL-6 loop nor do they initiate IL-6 trans-signalling in follicular B-NHL cell lines.
Hugo
Frauke
F
Institute of Immunology, Witten/Herdecke University, Germany.
Dittmar
Thomas
T
Treutler
Eva K
EK
Zänker
Kurt S
KS
Kuehn
Jürgen J
JJ
D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000494:pharmacology*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D019898:Autocrine Communication / Q000187:drug effects*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006801:Humans; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism*; D016393:Lymphoma, B-Cell / Q000473:pathology*; D008224:Lymphoma, Follicular / Q000473:pathology*; D019899:Paracrine Communication / Q000187:drug effects; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019947:Receptors, Interleukin-6 / Q000187:drug effects; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects
D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D015850:Interleukin-6; D010936:Plant Extracts; D010940:Plant Proteins; D019947:Receptors, Interleukin-6; C077177:viscum album peptide