In vitro exposure of NK-92 cells to serum from patients with non-small cell lung cancer impairs their cytotoxicity.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effect of serum from patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) on in vitro cytotoxicity of the clonal cell line NK-92.


METHODS
Twenty-six patients with NSCLC were included in this study. NK-92 cells were incubated in medium supplemented with 25% of each patient's serum (before and after chemotherapy) for 24 h, then washed and tested for cytotoxicity against NK-sensitive K562 targets.


RESULTS
The cytotoxicity of NK-92 cells exposed to serum from patients with NSCLC before chemotherapy initiation was significantly reduced compared to that upon incubated with serum from healthy individuals (p<0.001). NK-92 cytotoxicity was further reduced upon exposure to patient's serum after the first and third chemo therapy cycles (p<0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
The results of our in vitro study suggest that serum of patients with NSCLC may exert per se an inhibitory effect on the cytotoxicity of NK-92 cells and this negative regulation may be enhanced with chemotherapy.
Oncology Unit GPP, Sotiria General Hospital, Athens School of Medicine, Athens, Greece.
Dimitris
D
Tsartsalis
Oncology Unit GPP, Sotiria General Hospital, Athens School of Medicine, Athens, Greece.
Dimitra
D
Grapsa
Department of Animal and Human Physiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
Margarita
M
Skopeliti
Department of Animal and Human Physiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
Elena
E
Dragioti
Oncology Unit GPP, Sotiria General Hospital, Athens School of Medicine, Athens, Greece.
Andriani
A
Charpidou
Oncology Unit GPP, Sotiria General Hospital, Athens School of Medicine, Athens, Greece.
Ekaterini
E
Politi
Department of Animal and Human Physiology, Faculty of Biology, University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
Ourania
O
Tsitsilonis
Oncology Unit GPP, Sotiria General Hospital, Athens School of Medicine, Athens, Greece ksyrigos@med.uoa.gr.
Konstantinos
K
Syrigos
D000368:Aged; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
NK cells; NK-92; Non-small cell lung cancer; cellular immunotherapy