Induction of neutrophil elastase by TNF-α in human cancer cell lines

Similarities between cancer cells and neutrophil, such as circulating by single cells, attachment to the vascular system of the target and invasion into the target, lead to a hypothesis that cancer cells might produce neutrophil elastase or a very similar protease. Although the production of immunoreactive polymorphonuclear leukocyte elastase (ir-PMN-E) can be measured by enzyme immunoassay (EIA) in human cancer and cancer cell lines, we were having difficulty to detect this at mRNA level.