Tumour necrosis factors and several interleukins inhibit the growth and modulate the antigen expression of normal human melanocytes in vitro

In the present study the action of various cytokines as regulators of human melanocyte growth and differentiation was examined in vitro. Primary melanocyte cultures were obtained in complete medium free of 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate or serum. First passage melanocytes were treated with various concentrations of recombinant tumour necrosis factor alpha and beta (rTNF-alpha, rTNF-beta), as well as with various recombinant interleukins (rIL-1a, rIL-1b, rIL-2, rIL-3, rIL-4 and rIL-6) for 6 days in complete medium and for 6 and 12 days in a mitogen-reduced medium variant. The 4-methylumbelliferyl heptanoate fluorometric microassay and Ki-67 staining were used for assessing cell proliferation, and the immunophenotype was evaluated using various monoclonal antibodies. Melanocyte proliferation in complete medium was inhibited by rTNF-alpha (–24%), rTNF-beta (–17%), rIL-1a (–21%), rIL-1b (–18%) and rIL-6 (–29%); in contrast, rIL-2, rIL-3 and rIL-4 had no antiproliferative effect. Measurements of Ki-67-positive nuclei confirmed these results. In the reduced medium variant, none of the above cytokines inhibited melanocyte proliferation. Recombinant TNF-alpha and rTNF-beta markedly reduced the expression of the pigment cell-associated antigens HMB-45 and K.1.2, and they enhanced the expression of VLA-2, ICAM-1 and HLA class I antigens and strongly induced HLA-DR. Similar changes were induced by rIL-1a, rIL-b and rIL-6, and rIL-2 decreased the expression of HLA class I antigens and of ICAM-1. In conclusion, several cytokines inhibited the growth and modulated the phenotype of melanocytes in vitro. Since these cytokines are major mediators of inflammatory processes, they may cause the pigmentary alterations seen after cutaneous inflammatory processes.Presented in part at the 23rd meeting of the European Society for Dermatological Research (ESDR). Amsterdam, 3–6 April 1992