title: Augmentation by interleukin-18 of MHC-nonrestricted killer activity of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells in response to interleukin-12.
abstract: Interleukin (IL)-18 is a novel cytokine with pleiotropic functions. In the present study, we examined the induction of the killer activity of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (MNC) against lung cancer cell lines upon treatment with IL-18 in combination with IL-12. Cytotoxic activity was measured by standard (51)Cr release assay. IL-18 (100 ng/ml) was found to significantly augment IL-12-induced killer activity in a MHC-nonrestricted manner against allogeneic NK-resistant Daudi cells and lung cancer cell lines: SBC-3, RERF-LC-AI and A549. IL-18 could augment IL-12-induced killer activity both at the optimal as well as suboptimal doses of the latter. However, IL-18 was found to have little effect on the killer activity of MNC induced by optimal or suboptimal dose of IL-2 or IL-15. Treatment of MNC with IL-18 in combination with IL-12 for a period of more than 4 days was observed to optimally induce the killer activity. As for induction of IFN-gamma production by MNC, IL-18 augmented that induced by IL-2 and IL-15, as well as that induced by IL-12. These results show the potential of IL-18 in combination with IL-12 for clinical application in treatment of cancer.
authors.affiliation: Third Department of Internal Medicine, The University of Tokushima School of Medicine, Tokushima, Japan.
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yanagawa
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hanibuchi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Miki
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Okamura
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sone
mesh_terms: D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic / Q000187:drug effects*; D004357:Drug Synergism; D006801:Humans; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000096:biosynthesis; D016753:Interleukin-10 / Q000096:biosynthesis; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020382:Interleukin-18 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000276:immunology; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D020382:Interleukin-18; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D016753:Interleukin-10; D018664:Interleukin-12; D007371:Interferon-gamma