Effect of TNF-alpha and IFN-alpha on the proliferation and cytotoxicity of lymphokine-activated killer cells in patients with bladder cancer.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effects of interleukin-2 (IL-2) combined with either tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) or alpha-interferon (IFN-alpha) on the proliferation and cytolysis to bladder tumor cells of lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells in patients with bladder cancer.


METHODS
LAK cells were generated by ficoll-paque density-centrifugation from 21 patients with bladder cancer and cultured in medium containing IL-2. LAK cell proliferation was assayed in the presence of various concentrations of either TNF-alpha or IFN-alpha by cell count in 96-well plates. Bladder cancer cell lines BIU-87 and EJ were cultured as target cells and the cytotoxicity of LAK cells was determined by 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5 diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay.


RESULTS
The proliferation of LAK cells induced by IL-2 was enhanced by TNF-alpha in a dose-responsive fashion. The direct growth support for the LAK cells was also observed with IFN-alpha at the concentration of 1000 U/ml after 48 hours of culture. TNF-alpha (5000 U/ml) resulted in an increase in the cytotoxicity of LAK cells to BIU-87 and EJ cells. However, the change of cytotoxicity of LAK cells treated with IFN-alpha was not statistically significant.


CONCLUSIONS
TNF-alpha and IFN-alpha enhance the proliferation and activation of LAK cells and influence their antitumor cytotoxicity in patients with bladder cancer.
Wang
Z
Z
Institute of Urology, Second Affiliated Hospital of Lanzhou Medical College, China.
Cheng
Y
Y
Zheng
R
R
Qin
D
D
Liu
G
G
D002295:Carcinoma, Transitional Cell / Q000473:pathology*; D002455:Cell Division; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000494:pharmacology; D015979:Killer Cells, Lymphokine-Activated / Q000276:immunology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology*
D016898:Interferon-alpha; D007376:Interleukin-2; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha