The effect of interferon gamma on epidermal growth factor receptor expression in normal and malignant ovarian epithelial cells.
OBJECTIVE
We examined the effect of interferon gamma on proliferation and epidermal growth factor receptor expression in ovarian cancer cell lines and normal ovarian epithelial cells.


METHODS
The tritiated thymidine incorporation assay was used to assess the effect of interferon gamma on proliferation. Scatchard analysis of anti-epidermal growth factor receptor antibody binding, and Western blotting of immunoprecipitates was used to assess the effect of interferon gamma on epidermal growth factor receptor expression.


RESULTS
Although interferon gamma elicited 30% to 40% decreases in proliferation, epidermal growth factor receptor expression was strikingly increased in all four ovarian cancer cell lines. Scatchard analysis indicated that this increase occurred primarily at the cell surface, but total cellular receptor levels also were increased. In contrast, interferon gamma treatment of normal ovarian epithelial cells affected neither proliferation nor epidermal growth factor receptor levels.


CONCLUSIONS
Because the up-regulation of epidermal growth factor receptors by interferon gamma appears to be confined to malignant cells, interferon gamma may facilitate immunotherapy and imaging of ovarian cancers by means of immunoconjugates directed against the epidermal growth factor receptor.
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC 27710.
M P
MP
Boente
A
A
Berchuck
G C
GC
Rodriguez
A
A
Davidoff
R
R
Whitaker
F J
FJ
Xu
J
J
Marks
D L
DL
Clarke-Pearson
R C
RC
Bast
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004848:Epithelium / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009856:Oncogene Proteins, Viral / Q000378:metabolism; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D010053:Ovary / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D015531:Radioimmunoprecipitation Assay; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D012016:Reference Values; D013936:Thymidine / Q000378:metabolism
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D066246:ErbB Receptors; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D009856:Oncogene Proteins, Viral; D018719:Erb-b2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinases; D013936:Thymidine