title: Interleukin-7 induces differential lymphokine-activated killer cell activity against human melanoma cells, keratinocytes, and endothelial cells.
abstract: To assess the potential role of interleukin (IL)-7 in immunotherapy of human malignant melanoma, we have examined the lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cell sensitivity of four human melanoma cell lines against LAK cells generated by IL-7 or IL-2. Lysis was determined by a 24-h cytotoxicity test using 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT). All melanoma cell lines were susceptible to IL-7- and IL-2-generated LAK cells. The sensitivity of melanoma cells to IL-2-induced LAK cells was higher compared to IL-7-induced LAK cells. At an effector target ratio of 20:1, the lysis by IL-7-induced LAK cells ranged between 41% and 52%, whereas IL-2-induced lysis ranged between 80% and 94% (p < 0.01). IL-7-induced LAK cells, however, showed almost no cytotoxicity towards HaCat keratinocytes and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Immunophenotyping revealed a higher expression of the tac antigen (CD 25) on IL-7-generated LAK cells, particularly those cells that were CD 56 negative or CD 3 positive compared to IL-2-induced LAK cells. In contrast, IL-2-generated LAK cells killed 62% of the HaCat keratinocytes and 60% of the HUVECs. Secretion of tumor necrosis factor-alpha into culture supernatants was significantly higher in IL-2-generated LAK cells compared to IL-7-stimulated LAK cells (p < 0.01), whereas TNF-alpha levels of IL-7-induced LAK cells were in the range of unstimulated lymphocytes. Because nonspecific cytotoxicity against other normal cells such as keratinocytes and endothelial cells contributes to the dose-limiting side effects of immunotherapy with IL-2, immunotherapy using IL-7 might be a better tolerated future alternative.
authors.affiliation: University Hospital Rudolf Virchow, Department of Dermatology, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schadendorf
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Böhm
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Möller
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Grünewald
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Czarnetzki
mesh_terms: D016923:Cell Death; D002460:Cell Line; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000166:cytology*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000494:pharmacology; D015851:Interleukin-7 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015603:Keratinocytes / Q000166:cytology*; D015979:Killer Cells, Lymphokine-Activated / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology*; D007962:Leukocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D008545:Melanoma / Q000473:pathology*; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000032:analysis; D013997:Time Factors; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D007376:Interleukin-2; D015851:Interleukin-7; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha