Effect of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor on natural-killer cell mediated cytotoxicity

• Published in: The international journal of biochemistry & cell biology 2003-07, Vol.35 (7), p.1056-1060
• Main Authors: Kubista, B, Trieb, K, Herbacek, I, Micksche, M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antineoplastic Agents - pharmacology; CD56 Antigen - immunology; Cells, Cultured; Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; GM-CSF; Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor - immunology; Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor - pharmacology; Humans; IFN-α, cytokine; Interferon-alpha - pharmacology; K562 Cells; Killer Cells, Natural - drug effects; Killer Cells, Natural - immunology; Natural cytotoxicity; NK-cell; Recombinant Proteins; T-Lymphocyte Subsets - drug effects; T-Lymphocyte Subsets - immunology
• ISSN: 1357-2725; 1878-5875
• DOI: 10.1016/S1357-2725(02)00383-7

Previous studies demonstrated an enhancing effect of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating-factor (GM-CSF) on natural cytotoxicity. It was the aim of this study to investigate if CD56 + natural-killer (NK) cells are responsible for the increased natural cytotoxicity after GM-CSF treatment. NK-cells were incubated with or without GM-CSF and Interferon-α (IFN-α) at various concentrations. NK-activity was determined by their ability to lyse NK-sensitive tumor cells (K562) and by cell surface expression of activation markers (CD25 and CD69). In our experimental setting incubation of CD56 + NK-cells with GM-CSF did not significantly alter NK-cell mediated cytotoxicity or the expression of activation markers. In contrast, pre-treatment with IFN-α, a well known stimulant of NK-activity enhanced cytotoxicity by 69.2%±13.2%, P