Immune Counterattack Mechanisms by Fas-FasL Pathway of Hepatocellular Carcino

Abstract: To investigate the mechanisms of hepatic cancer cells inducing apoptosis of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in vitro， hepatic cancer cells were co-cultured with TILs in different effector-taget ratio. Apoptotic ratios of TILs were screened by flow cytometry (FCM). Expression levels of mRNA of FasL， Fas and caspase-8 in hepatic cancer cells and TILs were tested by real time PCR. FasL and caspase-8 expression were screened by immunoblotting. After co-culturing with hepatic cancer cells， apoptotic ratios of TILs were increased with the ascending number of hepatic cancer cells (P<0.01). Compared with the normal hepatic cells from healthy donors， FasL mRNA expression level of hepatic cancer cells was significantly increased (P<0.01). After 24 hour's co-culturing with hepatic cancer cells， Fas and caspase-8 mRNA expression levels of TILs were significantly higher than before co-culturing (P<0.05). After co-culturing with hepatic cancer cells， caspase-8 expression of TILs was significantly higher than before. The results suggested that hepatic cancer cells could induce apoptosis of TILs through Fas system， providing a evidence for the metastasis and counterattack of hepatic cancer cells.

CSTR: 32200.14.cjcb.2008.01.0020