INCREASED LEVELS OF LEUKEMIA INHIBITORY FACTOR (LIF) IN URINE AND TISSUE-CULTURE SUPERNATANT FROM HUMAN PRIMARY BONE-TUMORS

Fifty-five adult patients with primary bone tumour, 27 benign and 28 m alignant tumours, were assayed for leukaemia inhibitory factor (LIF) i n urine and serum samples, Supernatant was obtained from primary tumou r tissue cultures in 24 cases (14 benign, 10 malignant tumours), LIF w as found in 11 urine samples (16.7%, 1 benign and 10 malignant tumours ), In 23 urine samples from patients with malignant bone tumour tested before any treatment, LIF was detectable in eight cases (34.7%), High LIF levels were found in all supernatants from malignant tumour cultu res and in supernatant from 12 of the 14 benign tumours cultured, LIF was never detected in control urine samples or supernatants from norma l cancelous bone cultures. These first in vive data concerning LIF in primary bone tumours raise the question as to the cellular origin of t his multifunctional cytokine and its potential role in solid bone tumo urs and bone tumour resorption. (C) 1998 Academic Press Limited.