EFFECT OF INTERFERON-GAMMA AND TNF-ALPHA ON MUC1 MUCIN EXPRESSION IN OVARIAN-CARCINOMA CELL-LINES

In view of the potential uses of cell surface tumour associated antige ns in novel anticancer treatment, a study was designed to investigate whether the biological response modifiers interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) could effect the express ion of an epitope on the tumour associated MUC1 epithelial mucin. Four ovarian carcinoma cell lines showing high (OAW42 and GG) and low (JAM and PE01) basal expression of MUC1 were treated with 10-1000 U/mL of IFN-gamma or TNF-alpha for one or five days. Changes in MUC 1 expressi on in cells exposed to IFN-gamma or TNF-alpha were monitored using an ELISA technique with the monoclonal antibody BC2 which reacts with a c ore protein epitope on the MUC1 mucin, and then corrected for the numb er of viable cells present. TNF-alpha had little effect on MUC1 expres sion, but one or five days exposure to IFN-gamma significantly increas ed MUC1 expression (p < 0.01) in all cell lines including the two cell lines that initially showed little or no expression.