Expression of integrins and other adhesion molecules on NK cells; Impact of IL-2 on short- and long-term cultures

✍ Scribed by Anna Mäenpää; Juha Jääskeläinen; Olli Carpén; Manuel Patarroyo; Tuomo Timonen

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1993
• Tongue: French
• Weight: 734 KB
• Volume: 53
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0020-7136
• DOI: 10.1002/ijc.2910530524

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

We have investigated, using flow cytometry, the expression of 19 adhesion molecules on fresh and IL‐2‐activated NK cells. The study included β1, β2 and β3 integrins, CD2, CD54 and CD58 (belonging to the immunoglobulin superfamily), and CD44 and L‐selectin (homing receptors). α1 and α2 of the β1 integrins were non‐existant and α3 was weak on freshly isolated NK cells, but their expression increased after 4 weeks in culture with IL‐2. On the other hand, some down‐regulation of α4 and α5 and disappearance of α6 was detected. CD11a/CD18 was upregulated by IL‐2, whereas CD11b‐c/CD18 were down‐regulated. As a novel finding we detected β3 on IL‐2‐activated T and NK cells. CD2, CD44, CD54 and CD58 were increased by IL‐2 but L‐selectin was strongly down‐regulated on the long‐term‐activated NK cells. Although IL‐2‐activated lymphocytes are potent tumor‐lysing killer cells in vitro and therefore a potential modality in cancer treatment, the IL‐2 induced changes in lymphocyte adhesion molecule expression may also lead to undesired effects, such as altered untargeted distribution and compromised migratory capacity.