title: Interferon-mediated enhancement of metastasis. Are MHC antigens involved?
abstract: The relationship between major histocompatibility complex (MHC) antigens and metastasis was investigated on B16 melanoma variants. B16 cell lines express low amounts of murine MHC (H-2) antigens. A high expression can be induced in line B16-A by in vitro treatment with immune interferon (IFN-gamma) or by in vivo transplant in allogeneic mice. The increase of H-2 antigens correlated with an enhancement of lung colonization in young syngeneic mice. The higher metastatic capacity of B16-A cells with induced high levels of H-2 antigens was observed also in adult mice and in young mice pretreated with cyclophosphamide. These results were confirmed investigating the behaviour of a mutant B16 clone (B78H1) which was selectively resistant to the H-2-inducing action of IFN-gamma: lung colonization ability was not increased by IFN pretreatment. The study of variants derived from individual B16-A lung colonies revealed a wide range of H-2 levels. Variants with a low expression had a low colonization ability; one out of two variants with a high H-2 expression also was poorly colonizing. IFN-gamma-mediated H-2 expression appeared to act as an enhancer, rather than a determinant of B16 metastatic capacity.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D006183:H-2 Antigens / Q000276:immunology*; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology / Q000556:secondary; D008285:Major Histocompatibility Complex; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000276:immunology*; D009368:Neoplasm Transplantation; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D006183:H-2 Antigens; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D007371:Interferon-gamma