title: Interleukin-12 promotes the proliferation and cytolytic maturation of immune effectors: implications for the immunotherapy of cancer.
abstract: Interleukin-12 (IL-12) is a B-cell and monocyte-derived 75 kDa heterodimeric cytokine released early after immune stimulation. It promotes the cytolytic maturation and proliferation of T and natural killer (NK) cells and release of interferon-gamma from these effectors. Furthermore, IL-12 appears to stimulate the production of a Th1 immune response. We have examined the effects of IL-12 on the proliferation and lytic activity of fresh peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). IL-12 stimulates proliferation of PBMCs by as much as 10-fold after T-cell receptor (TCR) ligation induced by anti-CD3 or phytohemagglutinin. In contrast, IL-12 promotes only marginal proliferation of resting PBMCs. IL-12 modulates IL-2-induced lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cell activity: it inhibits IL-2 LAK when added early to culture but augments LAK activity in PBMCs preactivated by IL-12. IL-12 induces the proliferation (three- to fourfold above background) and enhances the cytolytic activity (two- to fourfold) of TIL lines and melanoma-derived, peptide-specific T-cell clones that have been recently restimulated with autologous tumor. These results suggest that IL-12 may serve in vivo to amplify and focus the cellular immune response by selectively inducing the outgrowth and enhancing the lytic potential of T and NK cells that have received the proper coactivation signals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Zeh
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hurd
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Storkus
authors.forename: M T
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Lotze
mesh_terms: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D017252:CD3 Complex / Q000276:immunology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000276:immunology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002999:Clone Cells / Q000187:drug effects; D006133:Growth Substances / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000379:methods; D018664:Interleukin-12; D007378:Interleukins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015979:Killer Cells, Lymphokine-Activated / Q000187:drug effects*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects; D016246:Lymphocytes, Tumor-Infiltrating / Q000187:drug effects*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000628:therapy*; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D017252:CD3 Complex; D006133:Growth Substances; D007378:Interleukins; D010835:Phytohemagglutinins; D018664:Interleukin-12