Tretinoin or retinol enhancement of lymphokine-activated killer cell proliferation and cytotoxicity against human bladder cancer cells in vitro.
OBJECTIVE
To study the effect of tretinoin (Tre) or retinol (Ret) on the proliferation of lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells in patients with transitional cell cancer of bladder and their cytolysis to bladder tumor cells.


METHODS
LAK cell proliferation was assayed in the presence of either Tre or Ret by cell counting. Human transitional bladder cancer cell lines BIU-87, EJ, or bladder tumor cells (BTC) from patients with bladder cancer were used as target cells and 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 interleukin-2 (IL-2) was stimulated by Tre or Ret (10-100 nmol.L-1). The cytotoxicity of LAK cells against BIU-87, EJ cells, or BTC was enhanced by pretreatment of LAK cells with Tre or Ret 10-100 nmol.L-1.


CONCLUSIONS
Tre or Ret enhances the proliferation and cytotoxicity of LAK cells from patients with bladder cancer. Retinoids are potential in adoptive immunotherapy of bladder cancer.
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002295:Carcinoma, Transitional Cell / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D016219:Immunotherapy, Adoptive; D015979:Killer Cells, Lymphokine-Activated / Q000276:immunology*; D014212:Tretinoin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000494:pharmacology*