Background: Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS) is the most common neoplastic apoptosis manifestation of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Toremifene is known to upregulate transforming growth factor beta-1 (TGF-β1), which is a growth-inhibitory factor for KS. We investigated the in vitro effect of toremifene on KS cells. Methods: MTT assay was used to measure the growth of four KS cell lines and a human umbilical vein endothelial (HUVE) cell line after incubation with toremifene. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and ELISA were used to measure the level of TGF-β1. Results: The IC50 for the KS cells ranged from 2.2 to 3.2 µM, and 80% of the growth inhibition occurred within 24 h. Toremifene enhanced TGF-β1 mRNA expression, and the level of TGF-β1 increased from 103 to 473 pg/ml after 48 h of incubation. Toremifene had no effect on the growth of HUVE cells. Conclusion: Toremifene has a specific antiproliferative effect on KS cells. The stimulation of TGF-β1 production may play a role in the antiproliferative process.

Keywords:
Kaposi’s sarcoma, Toremifene, Transforming growth factor beta-1, Apoptosis
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2002
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