title: Interleukin-12 augments cytolytic activity of peripheral and decidual lymphocytes against choriocarcinoma cell lines and primary culture human placental trophoblasts.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Human trophoblasts are tolerant to the maternal immune system, but susceptible to interleukin (IL)-2-activated lymphocytes. IL-12 is also a key cytokine in the induction of cytotoxic responses. We administered IL-12 to peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) and to decidual lymphocytes (DLs) and studied resulting cytotoxicity against trophoblasts.
  
  
  METHODS
  PBLs and DLs were stimulated with rIL-2 and/or rIL-12 for 48 hr in vitro. Cytotoxicity against the choriocarcinoma cell line JEG-3, JAR, and primary culture trophoblasts were examined by LDH release assay. The proliferative response was estimated by MTT assay. Expression of cytotoxic factors was studied by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Whereas IL-12 alone produced a modest enhancement in cytotoxicity of PBLs and DLs, the combination of IL-2 and IL-12 was most effective in trophoblast cell lysis. IL-12 enhanced the mRNA expression of T-cell specific serine protease (TSP, granzyme B) and FasL in DLs, but the expression of perforin was unchanged. Expression of these cytotoxic factors in PBLs was up-regulated by IL-12.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings indicate critical roles of IL-12 in the activation of maternal lymphocytes, which could possibly result in pregnancy failure syndromes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Nihon University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hayakawa
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nagai
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kanaeda
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karasaki-Suzuki
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ishii
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chishima
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Satoh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002822:Choriocarcinoma / Q000276:immunology*; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic / Q000187:drug effects*; D003656:Decidua / Q000276:immunology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D014327:Trophoblasts / Q000276:immunology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014594:Uterine Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D018664:Interleukin-12