title: Interferon-beta is more potent than interferon-alpha in inhibition of human hepatocellular carcinoma cell growth when used alone and in combination with anticancer drugs.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The prognosis of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is extremely poor, but promising effects of chemotherapies combined with interferon (IFN) have been reported.
  
  
  METHODS
  To develop more effective combination therapies for HCC, we compared the antiproliferative effects of IFN-alpha and IFN-beta in combination with various cytotoxic drugs on hepatoma cell lines using MTT assay and isobologram analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  IFN-beta was more potent than IFN-alpha in inhibiting the cell growth of all cell lines (P <.05, two-way ANOVA). PLC/PRF/5 was more sensitive to either IFN, than HLE and HuH7. Cell growth of all cell lines was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner by 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), cisplatin (CDDP), and doxorubicin (DOX), but the sensitivities of these cells were considerably different. As for IFN-alpha, synergistic effects were observed when combined with 5-FU and DOX on PLC/PRF/5 cells only, whereas IFN-beta showed synergistic effects with 5-FU and CDDP on HuH7 and PLC/PRF/5 cell lines.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The spectra of the antiproliferative activity and synergistic effect of IFN-beta when combined with anticancer drugs are more potent than those of IFN-alpha. Combinations of IFN-beta and anticancer drugs may provide a better treatment of HCC when combinations with IFN-alpha are ineffective.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery and Clinical Oncology (E2), Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Bazarragchaa
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Damdinsuren
authors.forename: Hiroaki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nagano
authors.forename: Masato
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sakon
authors.forename: Motoi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kondo
authors.forename: Tameyoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Umeshita
authors.forename: Keizo
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dono
authors.forename: Shoji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakamori
authors.forename: Morito
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Monden
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000494:pharmacology; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D004359:Drug Therapy, Combination; D006801:Humans; D016898:Interferon-alpha / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D016899:Interferon-beta / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D016898:Interferon-alpha; D016899:Interferon-beta