Interleukin-13 gene expression by malignant and EBV-transformed human B lymphocytes

Expression of the IL-13 gene in malignant tissues from 26 human B-cell lymphoid malignancies was analyzed by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). A positive signal was detected in 16 cases, which included high grade B lymphomas, follicular lymphomas and B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemias. IL-13 mRNA was also detected in the 9 malignant B cell lines and in the 6 lymphoblastoid cell lines tested, as well as in freshly isolated malignant B cells from 2 patients with a Burkitt's lymphoma. Two of 8 T-cell lymphomas and 2 of 4 T-cell lines expressed the IL-13 gene. In contrast, IL-13 gene expression was not detected in any of the 5 non-lymphoid cell lines tested. No specific binding of radiolabeled IL-13 was detected on B cell lines, suggesting an absence of IL-13 receptors on such cells. This conclusion was also supported by the inability of IL-13 or anti-IL-13 antibodies to affect the growth of malignant B cells. Taken together, these results show that both malignant and EBV-transformed B lymphocytes, either freshly isolated or maintained as cell lines, express the IL-13 gene. This raises the question of the role of B lymphocyte-derived IL-13, a B lymphocyte stimulating cytokine, on the in vivo function of normal B lymphocytes as well as on the in vivo behaviour of B lymphoid malignancies.