Impact of interferons on the expression of melanoma-associated antigens inmelanoma short-term cell cultures

Some immunotherapeutic approaches based on melanoma-associated antigens rel y on in vitro cultivation of melanoma cells. A beneficial effect of interfe rons has been shown in melanoma, This study aimed to determine whether stim ulation of patient-derived melanoma short-term cell cultures using interfer on-alpha and -gamma changes the expression pattern of melanoma-associated a ntigens, Lymph node, skin and brain metastases were cultivated for up to 3 weeks and treated with interferon-alpha, interferon-gamma or mock stimulati on. Expression of the melanoma-associated antigens MAGE-3, MelanA/MART-1 an d tyrosinase was determined by flow cytometry and compared with the express ion pattern of HLA class I molecules. We found consistently enhanced expres sion of HLA class I molecules, whereas the melanoma-associated antigens sho wed mixed responses, with moderate induction, suppression or no visible eff ect. The reaction to interferon stimulation was similar for all the antigen s examined within a single melanoma cell culture. In contrast to the HLA cl ass 1 molecules, which showed induced expression with interferon, the melan oma-associated antigens showed a varied response to interferon stimulation. Differential reaction to interferon stimulation is of importance to immuno therapeutic modalities and might influence progression of the disease. We t herefore suggest that evaluation of variation in melanoma-associated antige n expression in the clinical setting may help to identity patients who woul d profit from adjuvant interferon therapy, (C) 2001 Lippincott Williams & W ilkins.