Influence of interferon γ on modulation of Fas expression by human colon carcinoma cells and their subsequent sensitivity to antigen-specific CD8+ cytotoxic T lymphocyte attack

The inability of certain neoplastic populations to undergo Fas-mediated death by immune effector mechanisms may confer a selective survival advantage, which may contribute to tumor escape. In this study, we examined the role of Fas-mediated lysis in a human-antigen (Ag)-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL)/colon carcinoma cell model, and the regulation of the lytic phenotype by interferon gamma (IFN gamma). Previously, we have identified mutated ras peptides reflecting the valine-for-glycine substitution at position 12 as unique HLA-A2-restricted, CD8(+) CTL neo-epitopes. Peptide-specific CTL, established from both normal and carcinoma-bearing individuals, lysed in vitro a HLA-A2(+) primary colon adenocarcinoma cell line, SW480, harboring the naturally occurring ras mutation. Pretreatment of SW480 cells with IFN gamma, was necessary to promote efficient Ag-specific CTL killing, although the mechanisms by which IFN gamma influenced the lytic outcome remains to be elucidated. Here, we show, by phenotypic analysis of SW480 cells, a significant up-regulation of HLA-A2, ICAM-1 and Fas molecules after IFN gamma pretreatment, which paralleled their sensitivity to lysis with anti-Fas stimuli. Moreover, nearly half of the lytic response to IFN gamma-treated SW480 cells was inhibited by neutralizing anti-Fas or anti-Fasligand (FasL) mAb, revealing for the first time an important functional role for Fas/FasL interactions in carcinoma cell killing by human Ag-specific CTL, mAb against HLA-A2, ICAM-1, the alpha beta T cell receptor (TCR) and Fas molecules inhibited lysis; however, if these CTL were preactivated to express functional Fast and then used as effecters; only anti-Fas mAb efficiently blocked lysis. IFN gamma also increased pro-caspase-3 protein expression and its subsequent activation in SW480 cells following Ag-specific CTL attack. Peptide-based caspase inhibitors blocked both caspase-3 activation and CTL-mediated lysis. Overall, these data suggested that IFN gamma (a) facilitated both Ag-dependent and Ag-independent events as a prerequisite for efficient CTL/target interactions, Fast up-regulation and triggering of Fas-dependent, as well as Fas-independent lysis (perforin); and (b) enhanced or restored a Fas-sensitive phenotype in SW480 cells, reflecting modulation of cell-surface and intracellular elements of the Fas pathway. Thus, IFN gamma may play an important role in the regulation of a human neoplastic cell death phenotype, which may have implications for our understanding of the processes of both tumor evasion and tumor regression following Ag-specific CTL attack.