CHARACTERIZATION OF FRESH (UNCULTURED) TUMOR-INFILTRATING LYMPHOCYTES(TIL) AND TIL-DERIVED T-CELL LINES FROM PATIENTS WITH RENAL-CELL CARCINOMA

Fresh (uncultured) TIL from 12 untreated patients with primary renal c ell carcinoma were prepared from tumour specimens by enzymatic digesti on, and were characterized by immunofluorescence using MoAbs recognizi ng leucocyte differentiation antigens or particular V alpha or V beta segments of the T cell receptor (TCR). These fresh TIL comprised CD3() (20-84%); CD4(+) (3-15%); CD8(+) (13-35%); alpha beta TCR(+) (20-50% ); gamma delta TCR(+) (3-17%); CD16(+) (1-18%) and CD56(+) (3-10%) cel ls. Significant proportions of V alpha 2(+), V beta 5.1(+) and V beta 6(+) cells were found in TIL of certain patients with renal cell carci noma, suggesting that they comprised oligoclonal T cells. T cell lines were developed in low concentrations of rIL-2 (200 U/ml) from TIL fro m 11 patients with renal cell carcinoma, and were characterized by imm unofluorescence and cell-mediated cytotoxicity. These T cell lines con sisted primarily of CD3(+) (51-94%); CD4(+) (1-80%); CD8(+) (0-84%); a lpha beta TCR(+) (65-87%); gamma delta TCR(+) (0-25%); CD16(+) (0-16%) and CD56(+) (2-57%) cells. These T cell lines exhibited non-specific cytotoxicity against autologous and allogeneic renal tumour cells, wit h the exception of one T cell line that exhibited preferential cytotox icity against autologous renal tumour cells. These results suggest tha t fresh TIL from patients with renal cell carcinoma contain significan t proportions of oligoclonal T cells that may have accumulated at the tumour site as a result of a clonal expansion.