COEXPRESSION OF INTERLEUKIN-1-BETA AND INTERLEUKIN-6 IN HUMAN BRAIN-TUMORS

DEREGULATION OF THE expression of cytokine genes appears to play a rol e in the development of gliomas. Interleukin-1beta has been shown to b e synthesized in small amounts by astrocytes and can induce the expres sion of interleukin-6. Interleukin-6 is not expressed by unstimulated astrocytes, but the deregulation of its expression has been implicated in the progression of several tumor types. In this study, tumor speci mens from 16 brain tumors and 22 glioma cell lines were studied for th e gene expression of both interleukin-1beta and interleukin-6, and the coexpression of these two cytokines was found in a significant number of these specimens. The expression of these two growth factor genes m ay play an important role in the growth and development of human gliom as.