FAS APO-1-MEDIATED APOPTOSIS OF HUMAN RENAL-CELL CARCINOMA/

We have investigated the Fas-mediated apoptosis of cultured human rena l cell carcinoma OUR-10. OUR-10 cells express Fas antigen on their cel l surface and showed apoptotic cell death by stimulation with anti-Fas agonistic antibody. Cell proliferation of OUR-10 was reduced to 62% b y the addition of anti-Fas antibody. The cytotoxic effect of anti-Fas antibody on OUR-10 was augmented by the pretreatment of these cells wi th interferon-gamma, not with interferon-alpha or with interleukin-2. Flow cytometry demonstrated that preculture of Our-10 cells with inter feron-gamma increased the cell surface Fas antigen. Immunohistochemica l analysis of resected tissues from the patients with renal cancer rev ealed stronger expression of Fas antigen on the surface of cancer cell s than that of normal cells. These data suggest that Fas may be one of the possible targets for a novel approach to human kidney cancer, and the efficiency of this Fas-mediated treatment for kidney cancer could be augmented by the treatment with interferon-gamma. (C) 1996 Academi c Press.