Modulation by cytokines of HLA antigens, intercellular adhesion molecule 1 and high molecular weight melanoma associated antigen expression and of immune lysis of clones derived from the melanoma cell line MeM 50-10.

Clones were isolated from the cultured human melanoma cell line MeM 50-10, which metastasizes in nude mice with a pattern similar to that in patients with melanoma. Analysis with monoclonal antibodies detected heterogeneity among the clones in the expression of HLA class I antigens, HLA class II antigens, intercellular adhesion molecule 1 and high molecular weight melanoma associated antigen. The clones MeM A16 and MeM A18 were also shown to display differential susceptibility to modulation by immune interferon (IFN-gamma) and/or tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha) of the expression of the four types of antigens analyzed. In spite of differences in the antigenic profile, the two clones did not differ in their susceptibility to lysis by lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells and by anti-HLA-A2 cytotoxic T cells. The increase in the expression of HLA class I antigens induced by IFN-gamma and/or TNF-alpha on the two clones was associated with an increased susceptibility to lysis by anti-HLA-A2 cytotoxic T cells. Because of the metastasizing properties of cultured melanoma cells MeM 50-10, the clones we have isolated, with their distinct antigenic profile and differential susceptibility to modulation by cytokines, may represent useful models to investigate the role of distinct antigenic structures in the metastatic process.