Emergence of non-major-histocompatibility-complex-restricted lytic CD8+ cells in the blood of nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients.
A large body of evidence has suggested that the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is strongly associated with undifferentiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Immunologically, this neoplasia is characterized by the absence of anti-EBV circulating cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL), despite a high number of peripheral activated CD8+ cells, as previously determined in our laboratory. In order to determine whether the absence of anti-EBV CTL is related to a reduced number of circulating anti-EBV effector cells, we attempted to expand these hypothetical specific T cells by induction of proliferation with recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2), in the, absence of any stimulator cells. Optimal conditions for stimulation of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) of nasopharyngeal patients were obtained with 100 U/ml rIL-2 during 10 days of culture. PBL treated with rIL-2 induced a selective expansion of CD8+ cells and generated a potent cytotoxicity towards autologous or HLA-compatible lymphoblastoid cell lines, used as target cells in a chromium-release thest. However, this cytolysis was non-MHC-restricted, since, the monoclonal antibodies anti-(HLA class I) and anti-(HLA class II) were inefficient in inhibiting this cytotoxicity. Interestingly, purified CD8+ cells acquired the capacity for non-MHC-restricted cytolysis.
Lakhdar
M
M
Unité de Recherches d'Immunologie Cellulaire, Institut National de Carcinologie-Salah Azaiez, Bab Saadoun, Tunis, Tunisia.
Thameur
H
H
Maalej
M
M
Ben Ayed
F
F
Ladgham
A
A
D016827:CD8 Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000276:immunology*; D003470:Culture Media; D003601:Cytotoxicity Tests, Immunologic; D006680:HLA Antigens / Q000276:immunology; D006566:Herpesviridae Infections / Q000276:immunology*; D004854:Herpesvirus 4, Human / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007111:Immunity, Cellular / Q000276:immunology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000494:pharmacology; D009303:Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*
D016827:CD8 Antigens; D003470:Culture Media; D006680:HLA Antigens; D007376:Interleukin-2; D011994:Recombinant Proteins