Interferon-gamma upregulates the susceptibility of human neuroblastoma cells to interleukin-2-activated natural killer cells

• Published in: Natural immunity and cell growth regulation Vol. 8; no. 4; p. 189
• Main Authors: Handgretinger, R, Kimmig, A, Lang, P, Daurer, B, Kuci, S, Bruchelt, G, Treuner, J, Niethammer, D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland 1989
• Subjects: Antigens, Neoplasm - biosynthesis; Antigens, Neoplasm - immunology; Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; Gene Expression Regulation; HLA Antigens - biosynthesis; HLA Antigens - immunology; Humans; Interferon-gamma - pharmacology; Interleukin-2 - pharmacology; Killer Cells, Natural - drug effects; Killer Cells, Natural - immunology; Neuroblastoma - immunology; Neuroblastoma - pathology; Recombinant Proteins - pharmacology; Tumor Cells, Cultured - drug effects; Tumor Cells, Cultured - immunology
• ISSN: 0254-7600

The influence of interferon-gamma on the susceptibility of neuroblastoma cells in cell-mediated killing was investigated. Neuroblastoma cells were only weakly susceptible targets for peripheral mononuclear cells. However, enrichment of natural killer (NK) cells or activation of NK cells with interleukin-2 resulted in a considerable increase of neuroblastoma cell lysis. Pretreatment of neuroblastoma targets with interferon-gamma additionally increased the susceptibility to enriched NK cells as well as to interleukin-2-activated NK cells. The conjugate formation between enriched NK cells and the neuroblastoma targets was not affected by the pretreatment of the targets with interferon-gamma. Concomitantly, treatment of the neuroblastoma targets with interferon-gamma resulted in a strong induction of otherwise poorly expressed major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I antigen expression. These results suggest that the increased expression of MHC class I antigens on target cells is not always correlated with decreased sensitivity for NK cells but can also be followed by an increased susceptibility for NK cells.