COLO 205 utilizes E-selectin to adhere to human endothelium

We have demonstrated that pretreatment of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) with tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) or phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) augmented the binding of COLO 205, a human colon carcinoma cell line, in vitro. The increased adherence was both concentration and time dependent with a peak for tumor cell attachment at 4 hr. The increase in binding required both RNA and protein synthesis. This pattern is consistent with increased expression of the adhesion molecule E-selectin (ELAM-1) on the endothelium. Incubation of TNF- or PMA-stimulated HUVEC with BB11, an anti-E-selectin mAb, prior to the addition of COLO 205, led to almost complete inhibition of adherence of the tumor cells. Flow cytometric analysis confirmed that there was expression of E-selectin on HUVEC following both TNF and PMA stimulation.