title: Interferon-gamma upregulates the susceptibility of human neuroblastoma cells to interleukin-2-activated natural killer cells.
abstract: The influence of interferon-gamma on the susceptibility of neuroblastoma cells in cell-mediated killing was investigated. Neuroblastoma cells were only weakly susceptible targets for peripheral mononuclear cells. However, enrichment of natural killer (NK) cells or activation of NK cells with interleukin-2 resulted in a considerable increase of neuroblastoma cell lysis. Pretreatment of neuroblastoma targets with interferon-gamma additionally increased the susceptibility to enriched NK cells as well as to interleukin-2-activated NK cells. The conjugate formation between enriched NK cells and the neuroblastoma targets was not affected by the pretreatment of the targets with interferon-gamma. Concomitantly, treatment of the neuroblastoma targets with interferon-gamma resulted in a strong induction of otherwise poorly expressed major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I antigen expression. These results suggest that the increased expression of MHC class I antigens on target cells is not always correlated with decreased sensitivity for NK cells but can also be followed by an increased susceptibility for NK cells.
authors.affiliation: Children's University Hospital, Department of Hematology and Oncology, University of Tübingen, FRG.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Handgretinger
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kimmig
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Lang
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Daurer
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kuci
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bruchelt
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Treuner
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Niethammer
mesh_terms: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000494:pharmacology; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D009447:Neuroblastoma / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D006680:HLA Antigens; D007376:Interleukin-2; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D007371:Interferon-gamma