THE GROWTH-RESPONSE TO TUMOR-NECROSIS-FACTOR-ALPHA OF HUMAN GYNECOLOGICAL CANCER CELL-LINES

The cytokine tumour necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) is implicated in the regulation of diverse gynaecological cell types, its biological a ctivity being potentially mediated by two distinct cell surface recept ors (TNFR) of molecular weight 55 and 75 kDa, respectively. In this st udy the sensitivity to the growth regulatory properties of TNF-alpha o f a panel of human cervical, endometrial and ovarian cancer cell lines was investigated in relation to the expression and biological activit y of the 55- and 75-kDa receptor. There was no evidence of expression or function of the 75-kDa receptor in any of the cell lines tested. Th e expression and biological activity of the 55-kDa receptor was demons trated in each TNF sensitive cell line, with one exception, the HOG-1 cervical cancer cell line. The data suggest that the 55-kDa receptor m ediates the cellular response to TNF-alpha in sensitive gynaecological cancer cell lines but raises the possibility of the presence of a dis tinct receptor in HOG-1 cells. (C) 1998 Academic Press Limited.