LACK OF INTERLEUKIN-6 (IL-6) AND TRANSFORMING-GROWTH-FACTOR-ALPHA (TGF-ALPHA) EXPRESSION IN CHROMOPHOBE RENAL-CELL CARCINOMAS

We demonstrate the constitutive expression of interleukin 6 (IL-6), IL -8, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GMCSF), epiderma l growth factor (EGF), transforming growth factor alpha (TGF-alpha) an d epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in normal kidney cells, and in the majority of renal oncocytomas, papillary and non-papillary rena l cell carcinomas (RCCs) by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain rea ction (RT-PCR) technique. No expression of IL-6 and TGF-alpha and vari able expression of GM-CSF, IL-8, EGF and EGFR was seen in chromopbobe RCCs. The lack of expression of IL-6 and TGF-alpha might be correlated with the growth pattern, poor vascularity and low malignancy of chrom ophobe RCCs.