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Expression of interleukin (IL)‐12 mRNA in gastric carcinoma specimens: Cellular antitumor immune responses
Author(s) -
Katano Mitsuo,
Nakamura Mitsunari,
Kuwahara Atsuo,
Fujimoto Kazuma,
Matsunaga Hisashi,
Miyazaki Kohji,
Morisaki Takashi
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
journal of surgical oncology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.201
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1096-9098
pISSN - 0022-4790
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1096-9098(199801)67:1<11::aid-jso3>3.0.co;2-p
Subject(s) - immunogenicity , immune system , messenger rna , tumor infiltrating lymphocytes , cytokine , immunotherapy , medicine , tumor progression , interleukin 2 , cancer research , carcinoma , antigen , pathology , ctl* , biology , cancer , immunology , gene , cd8 , biochemistry
Background and Objectives Several tumor‐related antigen peptides that are recognized by autologous cytolytic T cells (CTL) have been reported. However, most human solid tumors, including gastric carcinoma, are only weakly immunogenic. In this study, we focused on interleukin (IL)‐12 and interferon‐γ (IFN‐γ) as key cytokines for estimating positive cellular immune responses. Methods To estimate the immunogenicity of gastric carcinomas, we examined IL‐12 and IFN‐γ at mRNA levels by reverse transcription‐ polymerase chain reaction assay (RT‐PCR) in tumor specimens and adjacent nontumor specimens from 36 gastric carcinoma patients. Results IL‐12 expression was detected in 12 tumor specimens and in only two adjacent nontumor specimens ( P = .003). The frequency of IFN‐γ gene expression was higher in the IL‐12 mRNA‐positive tumor specimens than in the IL‐12 mRNA‐negative tumor specimens ( P = .015). In the IL‐12 mRNA‐positive tumors, IFN‐γ expression was higher in the tumor specimens than in the adjacent nontumor specimens ( P = .007). Conversely, in the IL‐12 mRNA‐negative tumors, IFN‐γ expression was lower in the tumor specimens than in the nontumor specimens ( P = .03). Many tumor‐infiltrating mononuclear cells, predominantly T cells, were found in four of the 12 IL‐12‐mRNA‐positive tumor specimens and in none of the 24 IL‐12‐mRNA‐negative tumor specimens ( P = .008). Conclusions These data suggest that possible immune responses against a tumor may occur at the mRNA level in approximately one‐third of gastric carcinomas. J. Surg. Oncol. 1998;67:11–17. ©1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.