Differential expression and biological activity of the heparin‐binding growth‐associated molecule (HB‐GAM) in lung cancer cell lines

The growth of human lung cancer cells is regulated positively and negatively by a variety of growth factors through autocrine as well as paracrine mechanisms. In the present report, we studied the differential role and expression of a neuropolypeptide growth factor in 26 lung cancer cell lines. Expression of the heparin‐binding growth‐associated molecule (HB‐GAM) in 12 small cell lung cancer (SCLC) cell lines was compared to that in 14 non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines. HB‐GAM mRNA was expressed in 9 of 12 SCLC and 3 of 14 NSCLC cell lines as determined by RT‐PCR analyses. Normal human bronchial epithelial cells were used as negative controls. All cell lines which expressed HB‐GAM mRNA produced HB‐GAM protein as well. Western blot analysis showed that the tumor cells secreted HB‐GAM into the media. HB‐GAM, purified from lung cancer cell lines, exerted biological activity on fibroblasts, endothelial cells and SW13 cells as determined by thymidine incorporation and soft agar cloning assays. In addition, the biological activity of HB‐GAM was blocked by a specific antibody in a dose‐dependent way. Our findings suggest that HB‐GAM may serve as a marker for SCLC cell lines and that it may function as a paracrine growth factor in human lung cancer. HB‐GAM may be a further member of the network of growth factors involved in proliferation, angiogenesis and metastasis of lung tumors. Int. J. Cancer 73:537–543, 1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.