Immunological profiling of a panel of human ovarian cancer cell lines.
OBJECTIVE
The efficient identification of peptide antigens recognized by ovarian cancer-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) requires the use of well-characterized ovarian cancer cell lines. To develop such a panel of cell lines, 11 ovarian cancer cell lines were characterized for the expression of class I and class II major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-encoded molecules, 15 tumor antigens, and immunosuppressive cytokines [transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) and IL-10].


METHODS
Class I MHC gene expression was determined by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), and class I and class II MHC protein expression was determined by flow cytometry. Tumor antigen expression was determined by a combination of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and flow cytometry. Cytokine expression was determined by ELISA.


RESULTS
Each of the ovarian cancer cell lines expresses cytokeratins, although each cell line does not express the same cytokeratins. One of the lines expresses CD90, which is associated with a fibroblast lineage. Each of the cell lines expresses low to moderate amounts of class I MHC molecules, and several of them express low to moderate amounts of class II MHC molecules. Using a combination of PCR and flow cytometry, it was determined that each cell line expressed between six and thirteen of fifteen antigens tested. Little to no TGF-beta3 was produced by any of the cell lines, TGF-beta1 was produced by three of the cell lines, TGF-beta2 was produced by all of the cell lines, with four of the cell lines producing large amounts of the latent form of the molecule, and IL-10 was produced by one of the cell lines.


CONCLUSIONS
Each of the 11 ovarian cancer lines is characterized by a unique expression pattern of epithelial/fibroblast markers, MHC molecules, tumor antigens, and immunosuppressive cytokines. Knowledge of these unique expression patterns will increase the usefulness of these cell lines in identifying the antigens recognized by ovarian cancer-specific CTL.
Carr
Tiffany M
TM
Department of Surgery and the Human Immune Therapy Center, University of Virginia, Box 801359, Charlottesville, VA, 22908, USA.
Adair
Sara J
SJ
Fink
Mitsú J
MJ
Hogan
Kevin T
KT
D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm / Q000096:biosynthesis; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006801:Humans; D010051:Ovarian Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
D000951:Antigens, Neoplasm; D016207:Cytokines; D015395:Histocompatibility Antigens Class I; D000949:Histocompatibility Antigens Class II