Abstract:
To investigate the effects of the specific CTL activated by IL-27 gene-modified DC on the growth of transplantated tumor of human esophageal carcinoma and to study the effects of IL-27 on cell apoptosis and its mechanisms. Methods: The human DC/IL-27 cells secreting IL-27 were successfully obtained using gene transfection. After the nude mice models of transplantated tumor of human esophageal carcinoma were established, the mice were immunized with specific CTL activated by IL-27 gene-modified DC loaded with esophageal tumor lysate ( DC/IL-27-Ag ). The volume and mass of the transplantated tumors were measured. The cell apoptosis in the tumor was determined by TUNEL. The cell cycle and apoptotic rate of transplantated tumors at G0/G1, S and G2/M stages were assayed by flow cytometry. Results: RT-PCR showed the gene expression of IL-27 p28 and EBI3 subgenes in DC/IL-27 cells, and it proved the success of the gene transfection. The inhibitory rate of specific CTL activated by DC/IL-27-Ag was 58.28%, which was higher than that in other group ( P < 0.01 ). TUNEL also showed the morphology of cell apoptosis with specific CTL activated by DC/IL-27-Ag had typical changes in apoptosis than that in other group, the difference was statistically significant ( P < 0.01 ). FCM showed the proliferation index of transplanted tumor tissue with specific CTL activated by DC/IL-27-Ag was ( 23.92 ± 1.60 ) % , which was lower than that in other group, the difference was statistically significant ( P < 0.01 ). The ratio of apoptotic cells of transplanted tumors with specific CTL activated by DC/IL-27-Ag was ( 32.78 ± 0.83 ) %, and the value was higher than that in other group, the difference was statistically significant ( P < 0.01 ). Conclusion: Specific CTL activated by DC/IL-27-Ag may inhibit the tumor formation in nude mice, obviously inhibit the cell proliferation and enhance the apoptosis of esophageal carcinoma cells in vivo, which provides theoretical and experimental foundation for the application of DC in immunotherapy of esophageal carcinoma.