title: The Viscum album extract Iscador P does not cause an autocrine interleukin-6 loop in B-Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma cell lines.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Immunology, Witten/Herdecke University, Germany.
authors.forename: Frauke
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hugo
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dittmar
authors.forename: Eva K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Treutler
authors.forename: Kurt S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Zänker
authors.forename: Jürgen J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Kuehn
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D015850:Interleukin-6; D010936:Plant Extracts; D010940:Plant Proteins; D019947:Receptors, Interleukin-6; C077177:viscum album peptide