Augmentation of lymphokine-activated killer cell activity by lentinan.
Lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) activity stimulated by interleukin 2 (IL-2) and/or lentinan was examined in the peripheral blood of 9 healthy subjects and 7 cancer patients. After 4 and 8 days culture, LAK killer activity stimulated by IL-2 and lentinan against autologous tumor and K562 cells was greater than that stimulated by IL-2 alone. The optimal concentration of lentinan for the generation of killer cells ranged from 25-500 ng/ml, a level which can be achieved in vivo by the administration of clinical doses of this agent. The expression of CD25 antigen, the alpha chain of the IL-2 receptor on the activated killer cells was increased by lentinan. Thus it was shown that LAK cells stimulated with IL-2 plus lentinan had strong cytotoxicity and might be useful as effector cells for adoptive immunotherapy.
Tani
M
M
Department of Gastroenterological Surgery, Wakayama Medical College, Japan.
Tanimura
H
H
Yamaue
H
H
Tsunoda
T
T
Iwahashi
M
M
Noguchi
K
K
Tamai
M
M
Hotta
T
T
Mizobata
S
S
D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic / Q000187:drug effects; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D006801:Humans; D015979:Killer Cells, Lymphokine-Activated / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D007912:Lentinan / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation / Q000187:drug effects*; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology; D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2 / Q000378:metabolism
D015375:Receptors, Interleukin-2; D007912:Lentinan