title: Production of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) by monocytes from cancer patients and healthy subjects induced by OK-432 in vitro, and its augmentation by human interferon gamma.
abstract: A cytostatic factor was induced in the supernatants of human blood monocytes cultured in vitro with OK-432 at 0.01 KE/ml or more. This cytostatic activity was almost completely abolished by anti-human TNF antibody, and so was thought to be that of TNF. Recombinant human gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) alone did not induce TNF as described in other reports, but enhanced the induction of TNF by OK-432 when added to monocytes before or with OK-432. Monocytes of 20 patients with cancer of the digestive tract and 10 healthy donors were tested for ability to produce cytostatic activity. The frequencies of positive responses to OK-432 and the mean cytostatic activities of the two groups were similar. Moreover both groups included high responders whose monocytes produced potent cytostatic activity with OK-432 alone, and also low responders. Interestingly, marked synergistic effects of IFN-gamma and OK-432 were observed with monocytes that did not produce potent cytostatic activity with OK-432 alone. These results suggested that OK-432 may have a stronger immunomodulatory effect clinically when used in combination with IFN-gamma.
authors.affiliation: Second Department of Surgery, Osaka University Medical School, Japan.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sekimoto
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kokunai
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shimano
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takeda
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Haruna
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mori
mesh_terms: D001688:Biological Products / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002460:Cell Line; D004067:Digestive System Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology*; D004306:Dose-Response Relationship, Immunologic; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009000:Monocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D010844:Picibanil / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: D001688:Biological Products; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D010844:Picibanil; D007371:Interferon-gamma