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Emergence of non-major-histocompatibility-complex-restricted lytic CD8+ cells in the blood of nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients

  • Original Articles
  • Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma, Anti-EBV CTL, Immune Modulation
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Abstract

A large body of evidence has suggested that the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is strongly associated with undifferentiated nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Immunologically, this neoplasia is characterized by the absence of anti-EBV circulating cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL), despite a high number of peripheral activated CD8+ cells, as previously determined in our laboratory. In order to determine whether the absence of anti-EBV CTL is related to a reduced number of circulating anti-EBV effector cells, we attempted to expand these hypothetical specific T cells by induction of proliferation with recombinant interleukin-2 (rIL-2), in the, absence of any stimulator cells. Optimal conditions for stimulation of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) of nasopharyngeal patients were obtained with 100 U/ml rIL-2 during 10 days of culture. PBL treated with rIL-2 induced a selective expansion of CD8+ cells and generated a potent cytotoxicity towards autologous or HLA-compatible lymphoblastoid cell lines, used as target cells in a chromium-release thest. However, this cytolysis was non-MHC-restricted, since, the monoclonal antibodies anti-(HLA class I) and anti-(HLA class II) were inefficient in inhibiting this cytotoxicity. Interestingly, purified CD8+ cells acquired the capacity for non-MHC-restricted cytolysis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Unité de Recherches d'Immunologie Cellulaire, Institut National de Carcinologie-Salah Azaiez, Bab Saadoun, BP 29 Cité El Mabrajane, 1082, Tunis, Tunisia

    M. Lakhdar, H. Thameur, M. Maalej, F. Ben Ayed & A. Ladgham

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  1. M. Lakhdar
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  2. H. Thameur
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  3. M. Maalej
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  4. F. Ben Ayed
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  5. A. Ladgham
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This work was supported by grant MD7/91/FMT from La Fondation Nationale de la Recherche Scientifique Tunis, Tunisia.

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Lakhdar, M., Thameur, H., Maalej, M. et al. Emergence of non-major-histocompatibility-complex-restricted lytic CD8+ cells in the blood of nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients. Cancer Immunol Immunother 37, 131–139 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01517046

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01517046

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