Interleukin-18 induces transferrin expression in breast cancer cell line MCF-7

Interleukin-18 (IL-18) has recently been shown to have a pro-cancer effect in various cancers. Increased serum levels of both IL-18 and transferrin in cancer patients are correlated with its malignancy. However, the relationship between transferrin and IL-18 is not well understood. Here, we show that exogenous transferrin enhanced breast cancer cell proliferation and the proliferation rate was reduced when endogenous transferrin expression was inhibited by transferrin siRNA. The expression of endogenous transferrin was found to be regulated by IL-18. Furthermore, we found that the MAPK pathway is involved in IL-18-induced transferrin production. In conclusion, IL-18 is suggested as an inducer of endogenous transferrin expression in breast cancer cells.