title: Interleukin-12-mediated killer activity in lung cancer patients.
abstract: The authors investigated the interleukin (IL)-12-inducible killer activity of blood mononuclear cells (MNC) from 30 untreated primary lung cancer patients and 24 control subjects. Cytotoxicity was assayed as 4-h 51Cr release from Daudi lymphoma cells or lung cancer cells (H-69, N-291 and PC-9). MNC from lung cancer patients exhibited similar killer activity to those from control subjects after in vitro incubation with IL-12 for 4 days. Effective killer induction by IL-12 was observed even in MNC from advanced lung cancer patients and patients with small cell lung cancer. IL-12 and a suboptimal dose of IL-2 had additive effects in inducing killer activity in MNC from both lung cancer patients and control subjects. On the other hand, with an optimal dose of IL-2, IL-12 suppressed killer induction. Addition of IL-12 alone or in combination with IL-2 resulted in interferon (IFN)-gamma production by MNC from lung cancer patients as well as control subjects. These observations suggest that IL-12 could be useful for immunotherapy of lung cancer in humans.
authors.affiliation: Third Department of Internal Medicine, University of Tokushima School of Medicine, Kuramoto-cho 3, Tokushima 770, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Haku
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yanagawa
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nabioullin
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Takeuchi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sone
mesh_terms: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000187:drug effects*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009000:Monocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D000276:Adjuvants, Immunologic; D007376:Interleukin-2; D018664:Interleukin-12; D007371:Interferon-gamma