Enhancement of depressed lymphokine activated killer cell activity in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

• Published in: Biotherapy (Dordrecht) Vol. 2; no. 1; p. 1
• Main Authors: Saibara, T, Onishi, S, Matsuura, Y, Fujikawa, M, Sakaeda, H, Matsunaga, Y, Yamamoto, Y
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands 1990
• Subjects: Aged; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - immunology; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - metabolism; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular - therapy; Female; HeLa Cells; Humans; Interferon-gamma - antagonists & inhibitors; Interferon-gamma - biosynthesis; Interferon-gamma - immunology; Interferon-gamma - pharmacology; Interleukin-2 - pharmacology; Interleukin-2 - therapeutic use; Killer Cells, Lymphokine-Activated - drug effects; Killer Cells, Lymphokine-Activated - immunology; Killer Cells, Lymphokine-Activated - metabolism; Liver Cirrhosis - immunology; Liver Cirrhosis - metabolism; Liver Neoplasms - immunology; Liver Neoplasms - metabolism; Liver Neoplasms - therapy; Male; Middle Aged; Recombinant Proteins - pharmacology
• ISSN: 0921-299X
• DOI: 10.1007/BF02172071

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients can be divided into two groups according to the degree of lymphokine activated killer (LAK) cell activity; a high LAK activity group (H-LAK-HCC) and a low LAK activity group (L-LAK-HCC). Interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) production is severely defective in L-LAK-HCC but not defective in H-LAH-HCC. IFN-gamma production is suppressed with the addition of anti-Tac in dose dependent manner, though LAK activity is suppressed only in the presence of high concentration of anti-Tac. LAK activity is suppressed with the addition of anti-IFN-gamma, which is most prominent when the antibody is present during the first 12 hr of incubation. LAK generation is enhanced with the addition of recombinant IFN-gamma, which is most prominent when it is present during the first 12 hr of incubation. However, this enhancing effect is less prominent in L-LAK-HCC as compared to normals, liver cirrhosis, and H-LAK-HCC. This enhancement is regarded to depend on the presence of Leu7+ and Leu11+ subset, as this enhancement is abandoned and IFN-gamma production is inhibited when either of these subsets is deleted. These data suggest that IFN-gamma production and the participation of Leu7+ and Leu11+ subsets is important in sufficient LAK generation, and that poor IFN-gamma production and insufficient response to IFN-gamma may be the cause of severely defective LAK generation in L-LAK-HCC.