COMPARISON OF PRODUCTION OF TRANSFORMING GROWTH-FACTOR-BETA AND PLATELET-DERIVED GROWTH-FACTOR BY NORMAL HUMAN MESOTHELIAL CELLS AND MESOTHELIOMA CELL-LINES

  • 1 December 1987
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 47  (23) , 6180-6184
Abstract
Steady state mRNA levels for transforming growth factor .beta., platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) A-chain, and PDGF B-chain were measured in normal human mesothelial cells, SV40 large T-antigen expressing human mesothelial cells, and human mesothelioma cell lines. The mRNA expression level for transforming growth factor .beta. was similar in all three types of culture while normal human mesothelial cells secrete more transforming growth factor .beta. than do mesothelioma cell lines or T-antigen expressing mesothelial cells. In contrast, both PDGF A- and B-chain mRNAs are expressed at higher levels in mesothelioma cell lines than in normal human mesothelial cells. PDGF-like mitogenic activity was readily detectable in medium conditioned by a mesothelioma cell line and was undetectable in conditioned medium from normal cells. These results suggest that hypothesis that PDGF may be an autocrine growth factor in mesothelioma.