Interleukin-10 expression is closely correlated with the expression of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating...

It is unclear how the cytokine network contributes to the expression of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We examined the gene expression of GM-CSF and interleukin (IL)-10 in 78 surgical specimens and 16 xenografts of NSCLC by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. Forty-four of the 78 (56.4%) surgical specimens and 11 of the 16 (68.8%) xenografts of NSCLC showed GM-CSF gene expression. Forty-one of the 44 (93.2%) GM-CSF-positive NSCLC specimens showed IL-10 expression, and GM-CSF expression was significantly correlated with IL-10 expression (p < 0.0171, Mann-Whitney's U-test). These results suggested that IL-10 is one of the cytokines up-regulating the GM-CSF expression in NSCLC.