Interleukin-6 involvement in mesothelioma pathobiology: inhibition by interferon alpha immunotherapy.

Abstract

A role for interleukin-6 (IL-6) in malignant mesothelioma has been suggested by the clinically presenting symptoms of mesothelioma patients, which include fever, weight loss and thrombocytosis. A murine model of malignant mesothelioma was therefore used to examine the potential role of IL-6 in this cancer type and whether the effect of interferon alpha (IFN alpha) therapy on mesothelioma might be mediated, in part, by regulating IL-6 levels and/or IL-6-induced pathobiology. A panel of human and murine mesothelioma cell lines was assayed for endogenous IL-6 production in a bioassay, and for IL-6-mRNA expression. Four out of 5 human and 5 out of 15 murine mesothelioma cell lines produced moder..