The Hodgkin's cell in nodular sclerosis does not release interleukin-1.

Cell cultures were established from lymph nodes from eight patients with nodular sclerosing Hodgkin's disease and 12 controls. The patient cultures were demonstrated to produce a transforming growth factor for fibroblasts; none of the control cultures produced this transforming growth factor. The serum-containing and serum-free conditioned media were also tested for interleukin-1 activity produced by these cultures. Two nodular sclerosing Hodgkin's disease cell cultures produced measurable levels of interleukin-1 activity, and one had persistent levels of interleukin-1 activity after depletion of normal macrophages. However, nonspecific esterase stains confirmed the persistence of many normal macrophages. Two alveolar macrophage cultures had measurable interleukin-1 but did not induce fibroblast colony formation in soft agar. These data suggest that the Hodgkin's cell does not produce measurable levels of interleukin-1 and that interleukin-1 derived from the Hodgkin's cell is not the mediator responsible for the fibroblast hyperplasia and agar colony formation produced by cell cultures from nodular sclerosing Hodgkin's disease.