[Induction of specific CTL by DC from axillary lymph node of patients with breast cancer].

AIM: To investigate the capability of the dendritic cells (DC) from axillary draining lymph node of patients with breast cancer to induce the antigen specific CTL.

METHODS

The mononuclear cells were isolated from axillary draining lymph node, and the adherent cells were cultured with rhGM-CSF and rhIL-4 to induce DC. The non-adherent cells were cultured with IL-2 to induce tumor draining lymph node cells(TDLNC). DCs stimulated by the autoallergic breast cancer freeze-thawing antigen were co-cultured with the obtained TDLNC to induce tumor antigen specific CTL.

RESULTS

The positive percentage of CD1a, CD83, CD86 on DC from freshly isolated mononuclear cells in axillary draining lymph node was 11.0+/-2.3, 26.6+/-5.2 and 33.0+/-6.1, respectively. After co-cultured with rhGM-CSF, rhIL-4, breast cancer freeze-thawing antigen and TNF-alpha, the percentage of CD1a, CD83, CD86 was increased to 50.2+/-5.7, 60.5+/-16.5 and 56.2+/-16.4, respectively, (P<0.01). The percentage of CD8(+) T cells in TDLNC increased from 32.8+/-3.2 to 62.5+/-2.5 after co-cultured with DC-Ag (P<0.01).

CONCLUSION

Typical DCs can be induced from the mononuclear cells in axillary draining lymph node after stimulated with cytokine (rhGM-CSF, rhIL-4 and TNF-alpha), which possess strong antigen presentation function and can stimulate TDLNC to proliferate and differentiate into antigen specific CTL.