Autocrine secretion of an EGF-like substance by a cell line (HSC-1) derived from a human skin squamous cell carcinoma.

The presence of EGF-autocrine secretion was investigated in a cell line derived from a human squamous cell carcinoma (HSC-1). The cell line was found to secrete the epidermal growth factor (EGF)-like substance. Meanwhile, normal human and uninvolved and involved psoriatic epidermal cells did not show any evidence of EGF secretion in culture. Not was any evidence of EGF secretion observed in vitro in several malignant cell lines other than HSC-1 derived from human squamous cell carcinomas, adenocarcinoma and melanoma. The addition of EGF did not stimulate, but rather inhibited, the growth of HSC-1 cells in GIT medium as well as Dulbecco's modified essential medium with low concentrations of fetal calf serum (0.5-1%) in vitro. Overexpression of EGF receptors is known to occur in HSC-1. The results suggest that HSC-1 cells exhibit autocrine secretion of the EGF-like substance but not autostimulation in anchorage-dependent cell culture.