Expression of stem cell factor and c-kit in human malignant fibrous histiocytoma cell line (TNMY1).

Background: The expression of c-kit and/or its ligand, stem cell factor (SCF), has been related to tumor proliferation, in several tumor systems.

Materials And Methods: We analyzed the expression of the SCF/its receptor (c-kit) mRNA and the production of soluble SCF in a human malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) cell line (TNMY1).

Results: Immunocytochemical analysis revealed that the TNMY1 cells were positive for both SCF and c-kit. Reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) showed that the TNMY1 cell line expressed mRNA for SCF and c-kit. By using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), the TNMY1 cells were found to produce relatively high amounts of soluble SCF. However, the addition of soluble SCF to the TNMY1 cells did not alter the in vitro growth ability of the cells.

Conclusion: Our data showed that the MFH cells produced consistent amounts of SCF but did not demonstrate autocrine growth modulation. Thus, SCF secretion may have a paracrine activity in the growth of MFH cells.