Intracytoplasmatic and extracellular interleukin-1 production by monocytes of lung and colorectal cancer patients.

We studied the production of interleukin-1 (IL-1) by peripheral blood monocytes (Mo) from twelve normal subjects (NS) and eight and nine untreated lung and colorectal cancer patients (CP), respectively. No significant changes of extracellular IL-1 biological activity was observed between CP and NS by thymocyte proliferation assay. This result was independent that the cells were treated or not with lipopolisaccharide from E. coli (LPS, 10 micrograms/ml). Moreover, CP present normal amount of antigenic IL-1 beta in LPS treated Mo culture supernatants by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The biological activity of IL-1 released was not significant modified after indomethacin (Indo, 10(-6)M) and LPS + Indo treatments. Furthermore, patients showed a low percentage of LPS activated Mo with intracytoplasmatic IL-1 (alpha + beta) compared to normal values. These results were obtained by immuno-alkaline phosphatase staining using monoclonal antibody anti IL-1 (alpha + beta). In conclusion, CP had a reduced number of Mo with intracytoplasmatic IL-1 (alpha + beta) and the difference observed may depend on degradation or in the rate of synthesis of this cytokine.