Interleukin-1 induces collagenase production by recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa fibroblasts.

We examined the direct effect of interleukin-1 (IL-1) on the collagenase production by epidermolysis bullosa (EB) fibroblasts. Addition of IL-1 at concentrations of 2.5 x 10(-4) units/ml or below in the culture media greatly enhanced collagenase production by two cell lines of recessive dystrophic EB (RDEB) fibroblasts. They produced 4.82 +/- 0.04 to 5.93 +/- 0.39 units/ml of enzyme, as compared to 0.02 +/- 0.07 units/ml in the absence of IL-1. In contrast, collagenase production by two cell lines of dominant dystrophic EB (DDEB) and normal fibroblasts was not, or only slightly, increased up to 0.69 +/- 0.28 units/ml. IL-1 concentrations of 2.5 x 10(-3) units/ml or higher failed to induce collagenase production by all fibroblasts. 3H-thymidine uptake increased by about 110-376% of control after IL-1 treatment. In addition, these data were obtained using fibroblasts of the 13-15 passages, suggesting that the property might be determined genetically. Although RDEB seems to be a wide heterogeneous group, the present data strongly suggest that the property may be specific to and characteristic of some types of RDEB cells.