GROWTH-FACTOR CYTOKINE SECRETION BY A PERMANENT HUMAN ENDOMETRIAL CELL-LINE WITH EMBRYOTROPHIC PROPERTIES

Objective: Our goal was to identify and quantitate growth factors and cytokines actively secreted by a permanent human endometrial cell line with embryotrophic properties and to determine if cell lines enhancin g embryo development secrete common growth factors and/or cytokines. D esign: Culture medium conditioned by this human endometrial cell line was screened for platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), leukemia inhib itory factor (LIF), interleukin-6 (IL-6), epidermal growth factor (EGF ), and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) by enzyme-linked imm unoassay (ELISA). Comparisons were made to the African Green monkey ki dney epithelial cell line (Vero), which has been well documented to be embryotrophic. Setting: This study was conducted in a university-base d research laboratory associated with a clinical IVF program. Results: The monkey Vero cell line and our permanent human endometrial cell li ne produced several common growth factors and cytokines, such as IL-6, PDGF, and LIF. IL-6 was secreted in substantial amounts by both Vero cells (400 pg/ml per 100,000 cells) and endometrial cells (100 pg/ml). PDGF levels in culture supernatant were measured to be 72 and 35 pg/m l, respectively, for Vero and endometrial cells. LIF could not be assa yed in our human cell line by ELISA but its presence was evidenced by immunocytochemistry. EGF and active TGF-beta were not detectable in co nditioned medium from either cell line. Conclusions: The two embryotro phic cell lines analyzed in this investigation synthesized several com mon growth factors and cytokines. Identification of factors being secr eted by cell lines which positively influence embryo development may a id us in understanding the basic growth requirements of the preimplant ation embryo.