title: Contrasting effects of T cell growth factors on T cell responses to melanoma in vitro.
abstract: Determinants of T cell responses to tumor cells remain largely unknown. In the present study we have used long-term cultures of human melanoma cells and autologous peripheral blood lymphocytes to examine the influence of cytokines with T cell growth activity on the phenotype and cytotoxic and proliferative response of T cells to melanoma. It was found that addition of interleukin-4 (IL-4) inhibited the response of CD8+ T cells and promoted the response of the CD4 subset. IL-2 or IL-7 was effective in increasing melanoma-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) activity in cultures where CD8 T cells were predominant, whereas IL-4 followed by IL-2 was most effective in cultures where CD4 T cells predominated. IL-10 or IL-12 inhibited proliferation and CTL activity against melanoma in long-term cultures. The effects of IL-12 were reproduced in long-term cultures of T cells stimulated with mAb against CD3 and were shown to depend on prior exposure of T cells to IL-12 before IL-2. As yet unidentified factors, such as co-factor expression on melanoma, appear to be as important as exogenous cytokines in determining the nature of T cell responses to melanoma. These results suggest that analysis of responses in long-term culture may assist in defining the role of key cytokines and other determinants of immune responses to melanoma.
authors.affiliation: Oncology and Immunology Unit, John Hunter Hospital, Newcastle NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: T D
authors.initials: TD
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hersey
mesh_terms: D015496:CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D018414:CD8-Positive T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic / Q000187:drug effects*; D006801:Humans; D008545:Melanoma / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D016207:Cytokines