[Expression of cytokine genes within astrocytoma cell lines and brain specimens]

Expression of the Cytokine genes in human astroglial cell lineage was studied. Primers for 5 different human cytokine, TNF-alpha, -beta, IFN-gamma, G-CSF and GM-CSF, were used to analyze messenger RNA transcripts in 5 cultured human astrocytoma, one neuroblastoma cell lines and fresh brain specimens by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Three out of 5 unstimulated astrocytomas, U138, U251, U373 MG and IMR32 neuroblastoma cells expressed TNF-alpha genes. After stimulation with IL-1 beta (1000 U/ml) all these cell lines expressed TNF-alpha genes. TNF-beta genes could not be detected in these cell lines even in the presence of any cytokine stimuli. We were able to detect expression of IFN-gamma genes within 2 astrocytoma cell lines (U87MG and A172), which interestingly did not show TNF-alpha activity. Constitutive expression of mRNA transcripts of GM -CSF could be detected in all astrocytoma and two out of 5 unstimulated astrocytomas, U87MG and U138MG, expressed G-CSF genes. After stimulation with IL-1 beta, all cell lines expressed G-CSF. In addition, we also examined gene expression of these cytokines within 4 human malignant astrocytoma specimens, 2 peritumoral brain and 2 autopsied normal brains. The results show that tumor and surrounding lesions express TNF-alpha (4 of 6), TNF-beta (1/6), IFN-gamma (4/6), G-CSF (3/6) and GM-CSF (5/6) but not normal brains. One tumor specimen also expresses TNF-beta as well as TNF-alpha genes (case 2). From these results, it is suspected that astroglial cell-derived cytokines may participate in local immune reactions accompanying glioma in the brain.