Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 1998, 185 (3)

Short Report

Exogenous Recombinant Human IL-12 Augments MHC Class I Antigen Expression on Human Cancer Cells in vitro

SHUJI SUZUKI, YASUIKI UMEZU,1 YASUO SAIJO, GEORGE SATOH, YOSHINAO ABE,2 KEN SATOH and TOSHIHIRO NUKIWA

Department of Respiratory Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Division of Cancer Control, 2Department of Nuclear Medicine and Radiology, Division of Brain Sciences, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8575, and 1The First Department of Oral and Maxillo-Facial Surgery, Tohoku University School of Dentistry, Sendai 980-8575

  • We investigated whether expressions of MHC class I and class II antigens relevant to tumor antigen presentation were changed on human tumor cells cultured with or without recombinant human IL-12 (rhIL-12). We showed that the expression of MHC class I antigen on UTC-8, 28-1Cl and SBC-3 cells was augmented when these cancer cells were cultured with rhIL-12. The expression of class II antigen was slightly raised on UTC-8 and 28-1Cl cells by rhIL-12, but not enhanced on SBC-3 cells. These results suggest that rhIL-12 may provide possible enhancement of immunologic tumor recognition, and cytotoxic activity of lymphocytes against tumors through the enhanced expression of MHC class I antigen.
    Key words--- rhIL-12; MHC class I antigen; cancer cells
    © 1998 Tohoku University Medical Press

    Tohoku J. Exp. Med., 1998, 185, 223-226
    Address for reprints: Toshihiro Nukiwa, Department of Respiratory Oncology and Molecular Medicine, Division of Cancer Control, Institute of Development, Aging and Cancer, Tohoku University, 4-1 Seiryomachi, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8575, Japan.
    This study was presented at Workshop of the 55th Annual Meeting of the Japanese Cancer Association, Yokohama, August 10, 1996.

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