Production by human squamous cell carcinoma of a factor inducing activation and proliferation of immune cells.
OBJECTIVE
To examine supernatants (SNs) of human squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck cell lines for soluble tumor-derived factors capable of inducing activation and proliferation of human immune cells.


METHODS
The SN of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck cell line PCI-50 was cultured in serum-free medium and tested for the ability to induce expression of activation antigens, proliferation, cytotoxicity against tumor cell targets and cytokine production by purified human natural killer (NK) and CD4+ T cells.


RESULTS
Supernatant of PCI-50 promoted expression of the following activation markers on NK and T cells: CD25 (interleukin-2R-alpha), HLA-DR (major histocompatibility complex class II), CD54 (ICAM-1), CD71 (transferrin receptor), and CD69 (activation-inducing molecule). In addition, SN induced and significantly sustained (P < .01) proliferation of human unseparated peripheral blood lymphocytes and NK or T cells in culture. Purified human NK or T cells cultured in the presence of the SN and IL-2 (120 IU/mL) had significantly higher antitumor cytotoxicity than that mediated by NK or T cells cultured in AIM-V medium and IL-2. The SN induced cytokine (interferon gamma, tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin-6) production in purified NK or T cells. When the SN was fractionated by molecular weight-based filtration into fractions greater and less than 30 kd, the growth- and cytotoxicity-promoting activities were consistently detectable in the greater than 30-kd fraction.


CONCLUSIONS
Culture SN of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck cell lines contain a soluble factor(s) capable of activating NK and CD4+ T cells and of promoting growth and antitumor cytotoxicity of these lymphocyte subsets in vitro.
Hirabayashi
H
H
Department of Otolaryngology, University of Pittsburgh, School of Medicine, Pa.
Yasumura
S
S
Lin
W C
WC
Amoscato
A
A
Johnson
J T
JT
Herberman
R B
RB
Whiteside
T L
TL
D015703:Antigens, CD; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / Q000276:immunology; D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000276:immunology*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000276:immunology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000276:immunology; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic / Q000276:immunology; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1 / Q000276:immunology; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000276:immunology; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000276:immunology; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000276:immunology; D015847:Interleukin-4 / Q000276:immunology; D015850:Interleukin-6 / Q000276:immunology; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000276:immunology; D011990:Receptors, Transferrin / Q000276:immunology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000276:immunology; D000099192:CD69 Antigens
D015703:Antigens, CD; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D016207:Cytokines; D006684:HLA-DR Antigens; D018799:Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-1; D007371:Interferon-gamma; D007375:Interleukin-1; D007376:Interleukin-2; D015847:Interleukin-4; D015850:Interleukin-6; D037181:Lectins, C-Type; D011990:Receptors, Transferrin; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D000099192:CD69 Antigens