Open AccessTumour‐infiltrating lymphocytes in primary melanoma: functional consequences of differential IL‐2 receptor expression
Author(s) -
BECKER J. C.,
SCHWINN A.,
DUMMER R.,
BURG G.,
BRÖCKER E.B.
Publication year - 1993
Publication title -
clinical & experimental immunology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.329
H-Index - 135
eISSN - 1365-2249
pISSN - 0009-9104
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2249.1993.tb03365.x
Subject(s) - immunology , melanoma , primary (astronomy) , receptor , differential (mechanical device) , biology , medicine , cancer research , genetics , physics , astronomy , engineering , aerospace engineering
SUMMARY Tumour‐infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) have been isolated from early primary melanoma (Clark level III) and expanded in vitro using culture conditions with low concentrations of IL‐2 (50 U/ml). Immediately after isolation TIL consisted of mainly CD3 + T cells, and the portion of CD56 + natural killer (NK) cells was below 20%. Fresh TIL cultures could be distinguished by CD25 expression since some contained up to 33%, others less than 5% CD25 + cells. These showed differences in subsequent development during in vitro expansion. CD25‐cxprcssing cultures remained stable in their phenotype, whereas the second TIL type showed major changes: CD3 ( ca 70–30%) expression decrease. CD25 ( ca 5–35%) and CD56( ca 15–55%) expression increase. The TIL type, which remained dominated by CD3 + T cells, killed autologous tumour cells efficiently ( 51 Cr‐rclcase greater than 30% at a E/T ratio of 20:1). which could be blocked by MoAbs against MHC class I molecules. In contrast, the other TIL type exhibited weak cytotoxicity (less than 17% 51 Cr‐release at an E/T ratio of 20:1) against the autologous tumour. Therefore, the expression of CD25 on freshly isolated TIL is a good marker for tumour specificity of in vitro expanded TIL.