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Research Article Free access | 10.1172/JCI117596

Disruption by interferon-alpha of an autocrine interleukin-6 growth loop in IL-6-dependent U266 myeloma cells by homologous and heterologous down-regulation of the IL-6 receptor alpha- and beta-chains.

M Schwabe, A T Brini, M C Bosco, F Rubboli, M Egawa, J Zhao, G L Princler, and H F Kung

Laboratory of Biochemical Physiology, National Cancer Institute-Frederick Cancer Research and Development Center, Maryland 21701.

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Laboratory of Biochemical Physiology, National Cancer Institute-Frederick Cancer Research and Development Center, Maryland 21701.

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Laboratory of Biochemical Physiology, National Cancer Institute-Frederick Cancer Research and Development Center, Maryland 21701.

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Laboratory of Biochemical Physiology, National Cancer Institute-Frederick Cancer Research and Development Center, Maryland 21701.

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Laboratory of Biochemical Physiology, National Cancer Institute-Frederick Cancer Research and Development Center, Maryland 21701.

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Laboratory of Biochemical Physiology, National Cancer Institute-Frederick Cancer Research and Development Center, Maryland 21701.

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Laboratory of Biochemical Physiology, National Cancer Institute-Frederick Cancer Research and Development Center, Maryland 21701.

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Laboratory of Biochemical Physiology, National Cancer Institute-Frederick Cancer Research and Development Center, Maryland 21701.

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Published December 1, 1994 - More info

Published in Volume 94, Issue 6 on December 1, 1994
J Clin Invest. 1994;94(6):2317–2325. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI117596.
© 1994 The American Society for Clinical Investigation
Published December 1, 1994 - Version history
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Abstract

IL-6 is an autocrine growth factor for U266 myeloma cells and their growth is inhibited by IFN-alpha or IL-6 mAb. We asked, therefore, whether IFN-alpha-induced growth inhibition involved IL-6. IFN-alpha and mAb against IL-6, the IL-6R alpha-(gp80) or beta-chain (gp130) potently inhibited U266 cells. Remarkably, this effect occurred despite IFN-alpha-augmented secretion of endogenous IL-6. However, examining the IL-6R revealed that IFN-alpha drastically curtailed expression of the IL-6R alpha- and beta-chain. This effect occurred on two different levels (protein and mRNA) and by two different mechanisms (directly and indirectly through IL-6). First, IFN-alpha, but not IL-6, greatly decreased gp80 and, to a lesser extent, gp130 mRNA levels which resulted in a loss of IL-6 binding sites. Second, IFN-alpha-induced IL-6 predominantly down-regulated membrane-bound gp130. IFN-alpha-mediated decrease of gp80 levels was not detected on IL-6-independent myeloma (RPMI 8226) or myeloid cells (U937). We conclude that IFN-alpha inhibited IL-6-dependent myeloma cell growth by depriving U266 cells of an essential component of their autocrine growth loop, a functional IL-6R.

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