title: Activation of dendritic cells by local ablation of hepatocellular carcinoma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Local ablation methods are an effective treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The rate of recurrence or development of intra-hepatic metastases may be lowered by antitumoral immune responses. Since HCCs are in general only weakly immunogenic, cell injury induced by local tumor ablation (PEI/RFTA) may increase HCC immunogenicity and may release endogenous adjuvants that activate dendritic cells (DC). The aim of the study, therefore, was the analysis whether PEI or RFTA induced injury results in an adjuvant effect for immune responses to HCCs.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eight HCC patients were treated with PEI or RFTA and serially analyzed for 4 weeks. Plasmocytoid (PDC) and myeloid dendritic cells (MDC) were analyzed directly ex vivo and in vitro using FACS and proliferation assays.
  
  
  RESULTS
  HCC ablation induced a functional transient activation of MDC but not of PDC associated with increased serum levels of TNF-alpha and IL-1beta.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that the combination of PEI or RFTA and active antigen specific immunotherapeutic approaches using DCs is a promising approach for the induction of sustained antitumoral immune responses aiming at the reduction of tumor recurrence and metastases in HCC patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine II, ,University Hospital Freiburg, Hugstetter Strasse 55, D-79106 Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Mona Y
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.forename: Christian F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Grimm
authors.forename: Marcus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ritter
authors.forename: Leonhard
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mohr
authors.forename: Hans-Peter
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Allgaier
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Weth
authors.forename: Wulf O
authors.initials: WO
authors.lastname: Bocher
authors.forename: Katja
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Endrulat
authors.forename: Hubert E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Blum
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Geissler
mesh_terms: D039521:CD11c Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D017115:Catheter Ablation; D002469:Cell Separation; D003713:Dendritic Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000097:blood; D018664:Interleukin-12 / Q000097:blood; D053650:Interleukin-3 Receptor alpha Subunit; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000517:prevention & control; D016185:Receptors, Interleukin-3 / Q000378:metabolism; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D039521:CD11c Antigen; C115022:IL3RA protein, human; D007375:Interleukin-1; D053650:Interleukin-3 Receptor alpha Subunit; D016185:Receptors, Interleukin-3; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D018664:Interleukin-12