In vitro production of leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) by Hep G2 hepatoblastoma cells.

This study shows that the human hepatoblastoma cell line Hep G2 constitutively expressed a high level of Leukemia Inhibitory Factor (LIF) mRNA in the characteristic major 3.8 and minor 1.8 Kb forms. DNA analysis of the LIF gene from Hep G2 revealed no rearrangements. Production and secretion of significant concentrations of LIF were demonstrated by enzyme-linked immunoabsorbent assay (ELISA) in culture supernatants of Hep G2 cells. The highest LIF concentration in culture was found at 48-h (250 pg/ml). LIF produced by Hep G2 cells was biologically active since cell-free culture supernatants were able to induce in vitro differentiation of the M1 murine myeloid leukemia cell line