title: IL-12 and IL-2 potentiate the in vitro tumor-specific activity of peripheral blood cells from cervical cancer patients.
abstract: We have carried out a detailed analysis of the cellular immune functions of cervical cancer patients in comparison with healthy controls. It has been observed that the freshly isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) exhibit natural cytotoxicity (NC) against a number of targets including tumor cells, mainly delivered by NK cells, which are non-adoptive and MHC unrestricted. Upon stimulation with cytokines like IL-2, IL-7, IL-12, IL-15 and interferons, PBMC acquire lymphokine activated killer (LAK) activity which enables them to lyse a wide range of targets including fresh tumor cells and virally infected cells. We compared the effect of IL-2 and IL-12 on enhancement of NC of PBMC from cervical cancer patients. IL-12 stimulated cultures (CD3+, CD56+) exhibited significant levels of tumoricidal activity. IL-2 stimulated lytic activity sustained even after 10 days while that of IL-12 stimulated cells declined after 6 days. Activation of PBMC was marked by increase in the expression of activation marker CD45RO and adhesion molecules LFA-1alpha, ICAM-1 and CD44. Addition of IL-12 to IL-2 stimulated cultures further enhanced the degree of lytic activity. Our data, thus, provide an evidence that PBMC from cervical cancer patients can be stimulated in response to cytokines and local or systemic treatment with low doses of cytokines may help to yield a better immune response against virus infected tumor cells in cervical cancer.
authors.affiliation: Immunology Division, Cancer Research Institute, Tata Memorial Hospital, Parel, Mumbai, India.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Verma
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Shrivastava
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Nadkarni
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000378:metabolism; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D020014:K562 Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D015979:Killer Cells, Lymphokine-Activated / Q000276:immunology*; D007700:Kinetics; D008875:Middle Aged; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy
chemical_list: D000954:Antigens, Surface; D007376:Interleukin-2; D018664:Interleukin-12