The detection of an increasing number of cytokines and the demonstration of autocrine and paracrine mechanisms perpetuating tumor growth prompted the investigation of the expression of the cytokines IL-2, IL-3, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IFN gamma, Tac, and GMCSF in primary lymph-node biopsies of patients with peripheral T-cell lymphoma (n = 11), Hodgkin's disease (n = 13), and large-cell anaplastic lymphoma (n = 6) by means of Northern blot analysis and in situ hybridization (ISH); 15 of 28 cases had IL-6 message, predominantly in cases of Hodgkin's disease (HD) and large-cell anaplastic lymphomas (LCAL).
Cytokine genes expressed by HD-derived lines include granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (CSF), macrophage-CSF, interleukin (IL)-1-alpha, IL-3, IL-5, IL-6, IL-8, leukemia inhibitory factor, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, tumor necrosis factor-beta, and transforming growth factor-beta, while transcripts and the corresponding proteins for granulocyte-CSF, IL-1-beta, IL-2, IL-4, IL-7, IL-10, and the JE/macrophage chemoattractant and activating factor gene were not detectable in cytoplasmic RNA and culture supernatants obtained from both lines.