High molecular weight transforming growth factor beta is excreted in the urine in active nodular sclerosing Hodgkin's disease.

To measure the in vivo secretion of high molecular weight (HMW) transforming growth factor (TGF)beta by Reed-Sternberg cells from patients with nodular sclerosing Hodgkin's disease, we studied the urine samples from untreated patients. The urinary proteins did not promote the proliferation of NIH-3T3 cells in monolayer culture and contained similar amounts of total TGF activity when compared with normal controls. Urinary proteins from 24 different control and test urines were analyzed by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting. Either of two primary antibodies were used for immunoblot detection: (a) affinity column purified polyclonal anti-TGF beta 1 prepared against platelet TGF beta 1 or (b) monoclonal anti-HMW-TGF beta prepared against HMW-TGF beta secreted by cloned L-428 Reed-Sternberg cells. All patients with active nodular sclerosing Hodgkin's disease had a detectable HMW-TGF beta (approximately 300,000) which cross-reacted with both anti-TGF beta 1 and anti-HMW-TGF beta. Purification demonstrated HMW-TGF beta which was active at physiological pH. Twelve control urine samples from healthy adults and 5 follow-up samples from the Hodgkin's patients after successful treatment contained no detectable urinary HMW-TGF beta. The in vivo production of HMW-TGF beta in untreated nodular sclerosing Hodgkin's disease supports the conclusion that this growth factor is secreted in large amounts by Reed-Sternberg cells or cells stimulated by Reed-Sternberg cells.