Interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) functions as an in vitro autocrine growth factor in renal cell carcinomas

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Abstract
Interleukin‐6 (IL‐6) was found to be a growth factor of renal cell carcinomas. Furthermore, renal cell carcinomas freshly isolated from the patients expressed mRNA of IL‐6 and secreted biologically active IL‐6 under the culture conditions where the tumor cells could grow, but they did not produce IL‐6 nor proliferate in the absence of fetal calf serum. The production of IL‐6 by the tumor cells was also demonstrated by immunostaining of the IL‐6‐producing cells utilizing anti‐IL‐6 antiserum. Moreover, anti‐IL‐6 antiserum specifically inhibited the in vitro tumor growth. All data indicated that IL‐6 functions as an in vitro autocrine growth factor of renal cell carcinomas.