title: Effects of glucocorticoids on antitumor effects of immunizations with fusions of dendritic and tumor cells.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A pitfall of immunotherapy with dendritic cells (DCs) for patients with malignant tumor is that certain patients have already been treated with Dexamethasone (DEX) prior to vaccination. Therefore, it is important to investigate whether DEX has negative effects on induction of antitumor immune response in dendritic cell-therapy.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analyzed surface phenotypes and phagocytosis of DCs incubated with or without DEX. We also investigated the effects of DEX on in vivo antitumor effects of immunization with fusions of dendritic and glioma cells.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Treatment with DEX did not affect the expression of surface markers, including H-2Kk, I-Kk, CD80 and CD86, on DCs. Likewise, DEX did not affect phagocytosis. Immunization with FCs inhibited tumor growth in vivo, and DEX did not suppress antitumor effects induced by FCs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data suggest that vaccination with FCs can be used to treat cancer patients receiving DEX.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Institute of DNA Medicine, Department of Dermatology, Jikei University School of Medicine, 3-25-8 Nishishinbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takagi
authors.forename: Tetsuro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kikuchi
authors.forename: Michihito
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Niimura
authors.forename: Tsuneya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ohno
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000096:biosynthesis; D018122:B7-1 Antigen / Q000276:immunology; D051940:B7-2 Antigen; D019496:Cancer Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D005910:Glioma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000276:immunology* / Q000628:therapy; D007114:Immunization; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D016219:Immunotherapy, Adoptive / Q000379:methods*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051379:Mice; D010587:Phagocytosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D015703:Antigens, CD; D018122:B7-1 Antigen; D051940:B7-2 Antigen; D019496:Cancer Vaccines; C497965:Cd86 protein, mouse; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D003907:Dexamethasone