Effects of recombinant human tumor necrosis factor‐α on the surface phenotype and the growth of human malignant glioma cell lines

Abstract

Human malignant glioma cell lines and clones were incubated with various concentrations of recombinant human TNF-alpha, either alone or in combination with recombinant human IFN-gamma. The surface expression of HLA-ABC (class I) antigens and beta 2-microglobulin, was significantly enhanced by TNF-alpha alone on every cell line and clone tested. After incubation with both TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma, the surface expression of HLA-ABC antigens was only slightly higher than that observed with each cytokine alone. In contrast to IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha had no effect on the surface expression of HLA-DR (class II) antigens. Moreover, the surface expression of HLA-DR induced by IFN-gamma was unaffected by TNF-alpha. The increased expression of HLA-ABC antigens after treatment with TNF-alpha or IFN-gamma correlated with increased levels of HLA-ABC-specific mRNA. In addition, TNF-alpha, like IFN-gamma, selectively enhanced the surface expression of a tumor-associated antigen, Me14-D12, while it had no effect on the expression of various other surface antigens. In the absence of actinomycin D, TNF-alpha exhibited no direct cytotoxic/cytostatic effect on the glioma cell lines tested. These results indicate that TNF-alpha can enhance the surface expression of HLA-ABC antigens on human glioma cells in the absence of a direct cytotoxic/cytostatic effect.