[Immune responses of dendritic cells after loaded with cytotoxicity T lymphocyte epitope based peptide of human alpha-fetoprotein (hAFP)].
OBJECTIVE
To study the immune responses of lymphocytes after activated by dendritic cells (DCs) loaded with cytotoxicity T lymphocyte (CTL) epitope based peptide of human alpha-fetoprotein (hAFP, 218-226 LLNQHACAV).


METHODS
Get high purity DCs by cultured plastic-adherent monocytes isolated from healthy donor of HLA-A2(+) peripheral blood with granulocyte-monocyte colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) and interleukin-4 (IL-4) for 7 days. Stimulate self-lymphocytes with DCs that loaded with CTL epitope based peptide of hAFP under the culture medium contains interleukin-2 (IL-2) for 7 days. Analyse IL-12 and TNF in culture medium and also the specific lysis activity of lymphocytes against four strains of primary hepatocellular carcinoma cells.


RESULTS
After stimulated by DC loaded with CTL epitope based peptide derived from hAFP, lymphocytes appeared a good characteristics and the culture medium of activated lymphocytes contained a high level Th1 type cytokines of IL-12 and TNF. Activated lymphocytes not only specifically lysed HLA-A2(+) HepG2 line but also had the cytotoxicity against other three primary hepatocellular carcinoma cell lines and T2 target cell loaded with peptide of hAFP.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this research supply the basic materials for the DC based vaccine with HLA-A2 restricted peptide epitope derived from hAFP against AFP positive primary hepatocellular carcinoma.
Department of Immunology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Sichuan University or West China University of Medical Science, Chengdu 610041, China.
Jianwei
J
Guo
Meiying
M
Cai
Dapeng
D
Wei
Liwei
L
Qin
Jian
J
Huang
Xia
X
Wang
D000328:Adult; D000818:Animals; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D000939:Epitopes; D015789:HLA-A2 Antigen / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D020014:K562 Cells; D051379:Mice; D010455:Peptides / Q000276:immunology; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000276:immunology*
D000939:Epitopes; D015789:HLA-A2 Antigen; D010455:Peptides; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins