Diverse effects of tumor necrosis factor-alpha on three subclones from human myelomonocytic leukemia cell line ME-1 exhibiting different differentiation stages

The effects of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) were examined in three subclone cells from human myelomonocytic leukemia cell line ME-1. These three subclone cells exhibit different differentiation stages of the myelomonocytic lineage. TNF-alpha exerted a growth-suppressive effect on the least mature subclone cells, ME-F-2 cells. On the other hand, TNF-alpha induced the most mature ME-F-1 cells and intermediate ME-F-3 cells to differentiate along the monocytic pathway. TNF-alpha also enhanced interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma)-induced complement C2 production by ME-F-1 and ME-F-3 cells but did not affect production by differentiated ME-F-1 and ME-F-3 cells. These results suggest that the diversity of the effects of TNF on subclone cells from ME-1 depends on the stage of cell differentiation.