Expression of major histocompatibility complex antigens in squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck: Effects of interferon gene transfer

The effect of retroviral-mediated interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) gene transfe r on major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I and II antigen expressi on was investigated in 13 head and neck squamous carcinoma cell lines. Six cell lines exhibited increased MHC class I expression, and 10 exhibited inc reased MHC class II expression after IFN-gamma gene transfer. Differences i n MHC antigen expression between parental and transduced cell lines were si gnificant (P = 0.002) only for cell lines that upregulated MHC class II exp ression. After incubation in medium containing 100 U/ml recombinant IFN-gam ma, or in medium from IFN-gamma retrovirus-transduced NIH 3T3 cells, 12 cel l lines significantly upregulated MHC class I expression, and 9 significant ly upregulated MHC class II expression. Only cell lines that exhibited incr eased MHC class II expression after retroviral transduction also upregulate d class II expression with exogenous IFN-gamma treatment. Thus some head an d neck squamous carcinoma cell lines can upregulate MHC class I and II expr ession after exogenous application of either IFN-gamma or IFN-gamma retrovi ral transduction. These are promising findings for head and neck cancer imm unotherapy and gene therapy.