Publication

Abstract : The relationship between IL-2-R gene transcription and natural cell mediated cytotoxicity (NKCMC) in the peripheral blood lymphocytes of 15 patients with gastric carcinoma and 6 normal healthy controls were studied. NKCMC and ADCC assessed against radiolabelled K-562 and sensitized chicken RBC as respective target cells in 51Cr release assay revealed significant reduction in patients as compared to controls. The impairment in the natural cytotoxicity was associated with decreased IL-2-R gene expression at the mRNA level in these patients. Expression of both IL-2 R alpha transcripts (3.5 and 1.5 Kb) were either not detectable or only weakly detectable on T lymphocytes from patients even after mitogenic stimulation. In contrast, a significant rise in the expression of both IL-2 R alpha transcripts was observed on T cells from normal controls followed by mitogenic challenge. We interpret our findings to reflect the direct correlation between NKCMC and IL-2-R gene transcription in gastric carcinoma patients.