Lack of effect of colony-stimulating factors, interleukins, interferons, and tumor necrosis factor on the growth and differentiation of cultured Reed-Sternberg cells. Comparison with effects of phorbol ester and retinoic acid.

The neoplastic Hodgkin's Reed-Sternberg (H-RS) cells in Hodgkin's disease are surrounded in vivo by abundant reactive cells, the function of which may be attributed in part to their elaboration of various cytokines. Thus, a study of the interaction of H-RS cells with exogenous cytokines may provide information as to the mechanism of the clinical and histopathologic changes observed in Hodgkin's disease. This study examined the effect of various cytokines, and of phorbol ester (TPA) and retinoic acid, on the differentiation and proliferation of cultured H-RS cells (cell lines HDLM-1 and KM-H2). In addition, it was determined whether these cells were able to secrete cytokines after being treated with exogenous cytokines. The cytokines used included various types of interleukins (1, 2, and 3), colony-stimulating factors (GM, G, and M), interferons (alpha, beta, and gamma), and tumor necrosis factor (alpha). It was found that these cytokines, used alone or in combination, were not effective in modulating the proliferation and differentiation of cells, or the production of cytokines, in cultured H-RS cells. In contrast, this study revealed that retinoic acid can potentiate TPA-induced growth inhibition in cultured H-RS cells. Retinoic acid, when used alone, exhibited a minimal effect on cell differentiation. No synergistic effects of cytokines and retinoic acid on H-RS cells were observed. The failure of cultured H-RS cells to respond to exogenous cytokines suggests that, during the course of neoplastic transformation, of progression of disease, or of establishment of the cells in culture, H-RS cells lose their dependence on cytokines, although they retain the capacity to produce various cytokines.