title: Secretion of tumor-promoting and immune suppressive cytokines by cell lines of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cytokine profiles of permanent cell lines of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) were analyzed to define the cytokine levels secreted in the absence of immune cells.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cytokine profiles of IL-4, IL-6, IL-8 and IL-10 were analyzed in the supematants of 4 different permanent HNSCC cell lines using the Bio-Plex human cytokine assay system.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In HNSCC, IL-6 and IL-8 are involved in oncogenic processes, while IL-4 and IL-10 suppress proper immune responses in the tumor microenvironment. Our data indicate that, in the absence of tumor-infiltrating immune cells, HNSCC secretes high levels of the proto-oncogenic cytokines IL-6 and IL-8, but no significant levels of the immune suppressors IL-4 and IL-10.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The data strongly suggest that the intercellular crosstalk between cells of HNSCC and tumor-infiltrating immune cells in vivo is required to stimulate an increased production of immune suppressive mediators in head and neck cancer.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Schleswig-Holstein Campus Lübeck, 23538 Lübeck, Germany.
authors.forename: Ralph
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pries
authors.forename: Annette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Thiel
authors.forename: Carsten
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Brocks
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wollenberg
mesh_terms: D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007378:Interleukins / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D007378:Interleukins