title: Cell-mediated cytotoxicity in glioma-bearing patients: differential responses of peripheral blood mononuclear cells to stimulation with interleukin-2 and microbial antigen.
abstract: Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of malignant glioma-bearing patients were stimulated in vitro with Interleukin-2 (IL-2) or a glucomannan-protein antigen of Candida albicans (GMP) then assayed for proliferation, production of IFN-gamma, and generation of cytotoxic effectors against either K562 tumor cell line or freshly-cultured allogenic glioma cells. PBMC of healthy, age and sex-matched subjects were the controls. PBMC of glioma-bearing patients did not differ, as a whole, from PBMC of healthy donors in IL-2 or GMP-induced proliferation. However, they showed a lesser ability to produce IFN as well as a substantial inability to generate cytotoxic effectors following GMP stimulation. PBMC of glioma patients were fully responsive to IL-2 in cytotoxicity generation, as were the PBMC from normal subjects. The results suggest that glioma patients may have a defective antigen-mediated activation of natural cytotoxic effectors. This hyporesponsiveness is not accompanied by depressed lymphoproliferation and does not apparently involve a reduced response to IL-2.
authors.affiliation: Istituto CNR Tipizzazione Tissutale e Problemi della Dialisi, L'Aquila, Italy.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ausiello
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maleci
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Spagnoli
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Antonelli
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cassone
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000946:Antigens, Fungal / Q000276:immunology*; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D005910:Glioma / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D000946:Antigens, Fungal; D007376:Interleukin-2; D007371:Interferon-gamma