[The expression of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor in malignant gliomas]

In this study, we investigated the expression of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), G-CSF mRNA, G-CSF receptor mRNA in glioma cell lines, G-CSF in glioma cyst fluids, and the effect of recombinant G-CSF on the proliferation of glioma cells. First, to determine whether G-CSF is produced by glioma cells, we analyzed for the presence of G-CSF by ELISA in supernatants from glioma cell lines. G-CSF was detected in six of fourteen glioma cell lines constitutively, and, after stimulation with tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), G-CSF was detected in four of eight cell lines which did not produce G-CSF constitutively. Then, we analyzed the expression of G-CSF mRNA by reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) in six cell line, of which two produced G-CSF constitutively and three produced G-CSF only after stimulation with TNF-alpha. G-CSF mRNA was detected in all cell lines studied. To determine whether G-CSF was produced in vivo, we analyzed the presence of G-CSF by ELISA in five glioma cyst fluids, but G-CSF was not detected in any. We also analyzed the effect of G-CSF on the proliferation of glioma cells. The growth of glioma cells alone was not different from that of glioma cells incubated with recombinant G-CSF. In addition, we analyzed the presence of G-CSF receptor mRNA in glioma cells by RT-PCR; G-CSF receptor mRNA was not detected.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)