title: In vivo treatment with interferon causes augmentation of IL-2 induced lymphokine-activated killer cells in the organs of mice.
abstract: Interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) has been shown to synergize with IL-2 in the regression of a variety of established murine tumours and studies are underway to explore this combination in patients with advanced cancers as well. To understand the mechanism of synergy we have studied lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cell activity in various compartments of mice in response to IFN-alpha and IL-2 administration. The effects of IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha and IL-4 were also examined. C57BL/6 mice were injected intraperitoneally with HBSS, IL-2 alone, IFN-alpha alone or both, two times a day for 7 days. On days 4 and 8, LAK activity was tested in a 4-h chromium release in cells obtained from lungs, spleen, and liver using fresh MCA-102 tumour cells as targets. The cells from control mice failed to lyse the MCA-102 target. IL-2 caused the generation of LAK activity and an increase in total cell yield in all the organs after 3 days of injection. IFN-alpha failed to generate LAK activity but when administered along with IL-2, caused synergistic enhancement of LAK lysis of MCA-102 target cells. Cell yield in this group was lower as compared with the IL-2-treated group. LAK activity tested after 7 days of IL-2 therapy was significantly decreased compared with that observed after 3 days. However, activity remained at as high a level after 7 days of therapy as after 3 days of therapy in animals treated with IFN-alpha and IL-2. FACS analysis revealed that asialo GM-1+ (ASGM-1) and NK1.1+ cells were increased in number in IL-2 and IL-2 plus IFN-alpha-treated spleen; however, the number of these cells was similar in both groups. In the liver, ASGM-1+ cells were higher in the IL-2 plus IFN-alpha group than in the group treated with IL-2 alone. By in vitro depletion utilizing antibody and Rbc' experiments, it was clear that both ASGM-1+ and NK1.1+ cells from the spleen mediated most of the cytotoxicity of MCA-102 targets. Pre-treatment irradiation (5 Gy) of mice completely abrogated the capability of IL-2 or IL-2 plus IFN-alpha to generate LAK activity. IFN-gamma also had a stimulatory effect on IL-2 induction of LAK activity. Tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and IL-4 failed to generate LAK activity and, in combination with IL-2, no additional stimulatory effect was observed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Cellular Immunology, Division of Cytokine Biology, FDA, Bethesda, MD 20892.
authors.forename: R K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Puri
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Leland
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004357:Drug Synergism; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D007372:Interferons / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000494:pharmacology; D015979:Killer Cells, Lymphokine-Activated / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000528:radiation effects; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D010641:Phenotype; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D007376:Interleukin-2; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D015847:Interleukin-4; D007372:Interferons