Growth-stimulating activity of interleukin 6 on human mammary epithelial cells transfected with the int-2 gene

Cancer Res. 1993 Jul 1;53(13):2957-60.

Abstract

We have shown recently that normal human mammary epithelial cells do produce interleukin 6 (IL6), interleukin 8, and a nonsecreted form of tumor necrosis factor. Here we report that ductal infiltrating mammary carcinomas fail to express immunoreactive IL6. Since abnormalities of cytokine genes are a frequent event in cancer, we investigated the production of and the response to cytokines of mammary cells using a panel of oncogene-transformed cells derived from the spontaneously immortalized MCF-10A cell line. We found that only the parental line and the int-2-transformed cells responded to exogenous IL6 and/or were suppressed by IL6-neutralizing antibody. In contrast to highly transformed cells, these two lines, which were either nontransformed (MCF-10A) or weakly transformed (int-2), were found to express IL6 receptors. These data suggest that loss of IL6 pathways can be a marker of mammary cell transformation.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Breast / metabolism
  • Breast Neoplasms / genetics*
  • Breast Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Breast Neoplasms / pathology*
  • Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating / genetics*
  • Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating / metabolism
  • Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating / pathology*
  • Cell Division / drug effects
  • Cytokines / biosynthesis
  • Epithelium / metabolism
  • Fibroblast Growth Factor 3
  • Fibroblast Growth Factors / genetics*
  • Genes, ras / genetics
  • Humans
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Interleukin-6 / biosynthesis
  • Interleukin-6 / pharmacology*
  • Interleukin-8 / biosynthesis
  • Mice
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins / genetics*
  • Receptor, ErbB-2
  • Stimulation, Chemical
  • Transfection
  • Tumor Cells, Cultured

Substances

  • Cytokines
  • FGF3 protein, human
  • Fgf3 protein, mouse
  • Fibroblast Growth Factor 3
  • Interleukin-6
  • Interleukin-8
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins
  • Fibroblast Growth Factors
  • Receptor, ErbB-2