Fas ligand reduces viability in primary melanoma short-term cell cultures more than in metastatic melanoma short-term cell cultures.
BACKGROUND
Apoptotic pathway aberrations are reported as important tumor progression factors in melanoma.


OBJECTIVE
Effect of soluble Fas ligand (sFasL) and tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) on short-term cultured melanoma cell viability from different stages of melanoma.


RESULTS
Recombinant human FasL reduced viability after 18 h in a dose-dependent manner in 4 of 5 cell cultures from primary tumors and 1 of 9 cell cultures from metastatic melanoma (67.5 vs. 96.4%, p = 0.007). DNA fragmentation on flow cytometry confirmed apoptosis. Incubation with TRAIL had no effect on melanoma cell viability. Immunohistochemistry showed Fas in 3 of 4 primary and in 6 of 7 metastatic lesions, no FasL in primary lesions, and FasL in 5 of 7 metastatic lesions.


CONCLUSIONS
Melanoma short-term cell cultures from primary tumors show decreased viability under FasL, but not TRAIL stimulation rather than short-term cell cultures derived from metastases.
Hofbauer
Günther F L
GF
Department of Dermatology, University Hospital Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. gfl@hofbauer.ch
Hatta
Naohito
N
Daigle
Isabelle
I
Hemmi
Silvio
S
Spanaus Schlapbach
Katharina
K
Willers
Jörg
J
Burg
Günter
G
Simon
Hans-Uwe
HU
Dummer
Reinhard
R
D000954:Antigens, Surface / Q000032:analysis*; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000187:drug effects; D053938:DNA Fragmentation; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D019169:Jurkat Cells; D008024:Ligands; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis / Q000473:pathology; D008545:Melanoma / Q000473:pathology* / Q000556:secondary; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D053221:TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand; D013997:Time Factors; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000494:pharmacology; D048069:Tumor Necrosis Factors / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000032:analysis / Q000494:pharmacology*
D000954:Antigens, Surface; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; C505661:FASLG protein, human; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein; D008024:Ligands; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D053221:TNF-Related Apoptosis-Inducing Ligand; C505653:TNFSF10 protein, human; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D048069:Tumor Necrosis Factors; D019014:fas Receptor