title: Differentiation-dependent expression and mitogenic action of interleukin-6 in human colon carcinoma cells: relevance for tumour progression.
abstract: Interleukin (IL)-6 mRNA expression in general is low in normal, adenomatous and cancerous human colon mucosa, except in rather undifferentiated lesions, in which IL-6 is overexpressed. Cytokeratin (CK) 8-positive carcinoma cells were identified by double immunostaining as almost exclusive source of IL-6. Likewise, in five (sub)clones of primary culture COGA-1 and COGA-13 human colon carcinoma cells, and in three established cell lines (Caco-2/AQ, Caco-2/15 and HT-29), efficient translation of IL-6 mRNA into protein was observed only in the least differentiated COGA-13 cells. Notably, IL-1beta (5 ng/ml) enhanced IL-6 release in COGA-13 cultures by three orders of magnitude. Although all cell clones studied expressed the IL-6 receptor (IL-6R), rhIL-6 (1-100 ng/ml) had a significant effect on cellular proliferation only in highly differentiated Caco-2 cells. Our data imply that IL-6, when released from rather undifferentiated carcinoma cells, particularly in response to IL-1beta, can advance tumour progression through paracrine growth stimulation of normal or highly differentiated colon tumour cells with intact STAT-3-mediated IL-6 signalling.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathophysiology, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Brozek
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bises
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Girsch
authors.forename: Heide S
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Cross
authors.forename: Hans E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Kaiser
authors.forename: Meinrad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Peterlik
mesh_terms: D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D002455:Cell Division; D002471:Cell Transformation, Neoplastic; D003106:Colon / Q000378:metabolism; D003110:Colonic Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018450:Disease Progression; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000378:metabolism*; D008934:Mitogens / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines; D015850:Interleukin-6; D008934:Mitogens; D012333:RNA, Messenger