ENHANCED EXPRESSION OF MELANOMA-ASSOCIATED ANTIGENS AND BETA-2-MICROGLOBULIN ON CULTURED HUMAN-MELANOMA CELLS BY INTERFERON

  • 1 January 1982
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 68  (1) , 19-25
Abstract
The effect of human leukocyte interferon (IFN) on the in vitro growth and expression of melanoma-associated antigens (MAA), .beta.2-microglobulin (.beta.2m) and HLA-DR antigen on cultured human melanoma cells was studied Exposure of melanoma cells to IFN to 64 h resulted in a dose-dependent inhibition of growth with 46% reduction in cell number at 103 IFN U/ml and 74% reduction at 105 U/ml. Quantitative absorption experiments in the mixed hemadsorption assay determined that the expression of MAA and .beta.2m on treated cells was enhanced at 102-105 IFN U/ml, 2- to 5-fold for MAA and 5- to 12-fold for .beta.2m. No change was seen in HLA-DR antigen expression. The IFN-induced enhancement of MAA and .beta.2m could be detected as early as after 16 h, and a maximum expression was reached at 96 h after IFN exposure. The IFN-induced enhancement of MAA and .beta.2m on melanoma cells was reversible. Studies with melanoma cells grown in stationary phase and serum-deprived conditions indicated that IFN-induced augmentation of MAA and .beta.2m did not require cell proliferation. The effect of IFN on antigen expression is apparently independent of its effect on cell growth. Further studies are needed to fully elucidate the mechanism.

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