title: Effect of CD16a, the surface receptor of Kupffer cells, on the growth of hepatocellular carcinoma cells.
abstract: FcγRIIIa (CD16) is a low-affinity Fc receptor of IgG. As the idio-binding receptor of IgG Fc, it plays an important role in the antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity of natural killer cells. The aim of the present study was to investigate the distribution of Kupffer cells (KCs) and the expression of their surface receptor FcγRIIIa in hepatocellular carcinoma. Furthermore, we also aimed to observe the functional mechanism of FcγRIIIa. Immunohistochemical analysis was employed to study KCs and FcγRIIIa. In order to explore the role of FcγRIIIa in the growth of cancer cells, KCs and H22 tumor cells were co-cultured in different serum. The mRNA expression levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and FcγRIIIa were analyzed by RT-qPCR; the TNF-α and FcγRIIIa protein expression levels were examined by enzyme‑linked immunosorbent assay and western blot analysis, respectively. Our results showed that the number of Kuppfer cells in cancerous tissues (21.6±7.8) was lower than those in para-cancerous (68.8±9.1) tissues and adjacent normal hepatic tissues (62.0±1.9) (P<0.01); this decreased with the reduction in the differentiation degree of cancer (P<0.05). FcγRIIIa-positive cells were similar in morphology to KCs, and their distributive tendency was coincident (P<0.05). The increase in CD16a mRNA levels in the group treated with immune serum was 3.9-, 4.9- and 3.9-fold greater than that in the ordinary serum group at different time points, and CD16a protein expression also markedly increased (P<0.05). However, these effects were inhibited by the addition of anti-IgG Fc serum (P<0.05). The results of the present study suggested that FcγRIIIa resided in KCs, and it contributed to the inhibition of the growth of liver tumor cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital of Dianjiang, Dianjiang, Chongqing, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Xiu-Yun
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Institute of Liver Surgery, DongFeng Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, Hubei, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Lun
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Sheng-Wei
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Institute of Liver Surgery, DongFeng Hospital, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, Hubei, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Wen-Bo
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Chongqing Three Gorges Central Hospital, Wanzhou, Chongqing, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Meng-Yuan
authors.initials: MY
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Yubei, Chongqing, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Guo-Qing
authors.initials: GQ
authors.lastname: Zuo
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Chang-An
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Xiong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ding
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic / Q000494:pharmacology; D001201:Ascites / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D002450:Cell Communication; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D022781:Hepatocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007106:Immune Sera / Q000494:pharmacology; D007728:Kupffer Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D061251:Primary Cell Culture; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D017452:Receptors, IgG / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D015398:Signal Transduction; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000888:Antibodies, Anti-Idiotypic; C496124:FCGR3A protein, human; D007106:Immune Sera; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D017452:Receptors, IgG; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; C048844:anti-IgG