Reconstruction of SEA-B7.1 double signals on human hepatocellular carcinoma cells and analysis of its immunological effect.

Since transfection of established tumors with immunostimulatory genes, such as superantigens (SAg), a family of bacterial and viral proteins with strong immunostimulatory properties, can elicit antitumor immunity, direct transfection of tumors with genes of staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA) could probably set up a new way of immunological pathway. In our study, human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell lines stably transduced with SEA and B7.1/SEA fused genes, HHCCSEA and HHCCBS, were obtained by using the method of retroviral mediated gene transduction. The results showed that human HCC cells could express SEA gene. Although a tiny quantity of expression was detected, a robust immune response was promoted. The cytotoxicity of CTL on HHCCBS was the same as that on HHCCSEA. But the K(m) value of the reaction of the former was lower than that of HHCCSEA. Furthermore, the activity assay of T cells by ELISPOT demonstrated that HHCCBS could elicit more CTL activity than HHCCSEA and HHCCB7.1. It suggested that the affinity of T cells to HHCCBS was higher and the maxim velocity of reaction could be attained at an early stage of the reaction. Transduced HCC cells were also analyzed for HLA expression, and it was found that a majority of the cells expressed HLA-I molecules but no HLA-DR molecules. After blocking the HLA-I molecules by HLA-I mAb, the cytotoxicity of T lymphocytes dropped remarkably. The results suggested that SEA were mainly presented by HLA-I molecules, and that B7.1 and SEA could have synergistic action at the early stage of the reaction, but the relationship between them in the consequent process needs to be clarified. Copyright 2001 Academic Press.