MODULATION OF NEUROENDOCRINE DIFFERENTIATION IN PROSTATE-CANCER BY INTERLEUKIN-1 AND INTERLEUKIN-2

Neuroendocrine differentiation in prostate cancer has received much at tention recently because it has been found to be associated with andro gen independence and shortened patient survival in some studies. We ha ve investigated the effect of the cytokines interleukin-1 (IL-1), IL-2 , and Il-6 on the expression of the neuroendocrine marker chromogranin A in human prostate cancer cell lines. Chromogranin A was measured by fluorescence-immunoassay, as well as by immunoblotting. We find that IL-1 beta and IL-6 increase the cellular content and chromogranin A se cretion by LNCaP and DU-145 cells. By contrast, IL-2 decreases the cel lular and secreted chromogranin A levels in the two cell lines. Our re sults suggest that these proinflammatory cytokines can influence neuro endocrine differentiation in prostate cancer and be involved in diseas e progression. Prostate Supplement 8:32-36, 1998. (C) 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.