title: Effect of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor on natural-killer cell mediated cytotoxicity.
abstract: Previous studies demonstrated an enhancing effect of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating-factor (GM-CSF) on natural cytotoxicity. It was the aim of this study to investigate if CD56(+) natural-killer (NK) cells are responsible for the increased natural cytotoxicity after GM-CSF treatment. NK-cells were incubated with or without GM-CSF and Interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) at various concentrations. NK-activity was determined by their ability to lyse NK-sensitive tumor cells (K562) and by cell surface expression of activation markers (CD25 and CD69). In our experimental setting incubation of CD56(+) NK-cells with GM-CSF did not significantly alter NK-cell mediated cytotoxicity or the expression of activation markers. In contrast, pre-treatment with IFN-alpha, a well known stimulant of NK-activity enhanced cytotoxicity by 69.2%+/-13.2%, P<0.05, effector/target cell ratio (E/T) 10:1 and by 43.3%+/-17.3%, P<0.05, E/T 20:1 and increased the expression of CD69 and CD25. Our results suggest that GM-CSF treatment alone cannot enhance natural cytotoxicity mediated by CD56(+) NK-cells in vitro.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, University of Vienna, Waehringergürtel 18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kubista
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Trieb
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Herbacek
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Micksche
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D019002:CD56 Antigen / Q000276:immunology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000276:immunology* / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology; D020014:K562 Cells; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology*
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D019002:CD56 Antigen; D000077190:Interferon alpha-2; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor