Antigens, Neoplasm ; immunology ; Cancer Vaccines ; immunology ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; immunology ; therapy ; Humans ; Immunotherapy ; Liver Neoplasms ; immunology ; therapy

CD4-Positive T-Lymphocytes ; immunology ; CD56 Antigen ; analysis ; Cancer Vaccines ; immunology ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; immunology ; Dendritic Cells ; immunology ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; immunology ; T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic ; immunology

Camptothecin/*pharmacology ; Liver Neoplasms, Experimental/*immunology ; Neoplasm Transplantation ; Sarcoma, Experimental/*immunology ; Transplantation, Isogeneic

Animals ; Camptothecin ; pharmacology ; Liver Neoplasms, Experimental ; immunology ; Mice ; Neoplasm Transplantation ; Sarcoma, Experimental ; immunology ; Transplantation, Isogeneic

Antigens, Neoplasm ; immunology ; Cancer Vaccines ; therapeutic use ; Dendritic Cells ; immunology ; Humans ; Immunotherapy ; methods ; Liver Neoplasms ; therapy

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effect of perioperative HLA antibody changes on acute allograft rejection in cadaveric liver transplantation.

METHODSTotally 134 patients received modified piggyback liver transplantation and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was performed for HLA antibody detection before and the 1, 7, 14 and 30 days after operation. B ultrasound-guided liver biopsy was employed for diagnosis of acute allograft rejection, and the perioperative changes of HLA antibodies were evaluated for their effect on allograft acute rejection.

RESULTSOf the 44 recipients with preoperative positivity for HLA antibodies, acute rejection occurred in 56.8% of the patients, as compared with 25.9% in those negative for HLA antibody (P=0.001). The patients who became positive for HLA antibody postoperatively had a rate of acute rejection of 60%, which was significantly higher than that in those persistently negative for HLA antibody (18.6%, P=0.003).

CONCLUSIONHLA antibody positivity before transplantation may contribute to acute rejection episode in liver transplantation, and persistent posttransplant HLA antibody positivity is closely associated with the occurrence of acute rejection.

Adult ; Aged ; Antibodies ; blood ; Female ; Graft Rejection ; immunology ; HLA Antigens ; immunology ; Humans ; Isoantibodies ; blood ; Liver Cirrhosis ; surgery ; Liver Neoplasms ; surgery ; Liver Transplantation ; immunology ; methods ; Male ; Middle Aged

This study investigated the changes of CD4(+) CD25(+) regulatory T cells (Tregs) in peripheral blood of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma before and after transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE). The proportion of CD4(+) CD25(+) Tregs among CD4(+) T lymphocytes in peripheral blood of 33 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma was determined by flow cytometry before, 1 week and 1 month after TACE. And 25 healthy volunteers served as control. One month after TACE, the patients were divided into two groups: 22 in group A, who were in stable condition or getting better; and 10 in group B, who were deteriorating. One patient died and was excluded. The results showed that the percentage of CD4(+)CD25(+) Tregs among CD4(+) T lymphocytes did not significantly change in the 33 patients 1 week after TACE as compared with that before TACE, however, the difference was significant (P<0.01) between the patients with hepatocellular carcinoma and the healthy subjects. The percentage of CD4(+) CD25(+) Tregs among CD4(+) T lymphocytes in group A 1 month after TACE was decreased significantly in comparison with that before and 1 week after TACE (P<0.01), whereas, that in group B was increased significantly 1 month after TACE (P<0.01). It was concluded that patients with hepatocellular carcinoma had a higher proportion of CD4(+)CD25(+) Tregs in peripheral blood. TACE did not significantly affect the level of CD4(+) CD25(+) Tregs within short time (such as 1 week). The proportion of CD4(+)CD25(+) Tregs in peripheral blood 1 month after TACE was related to the prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma.
Antineoplastic Agents/administration & dosage ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/*immunology ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/therapy ; Chemoembolization, Therapeutic/*methods ; Liver Neoplasms/*immunology ; Liver Neoplasms/*therapy ; T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory/*immunology

OBJECTIVESTo obtain a single-chain antibody with high affinity against hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

METHODSA second single-chain antibody mutant library was established using an error-prone PCR and a phage display. Single-chain antibodies with high affinity for hepatocellular carcinoma were selected using ELISA.

RESULTSThe content of the second single-chain antibody mutant library was about 4.5 x 10(7). Two selected mutants, M90 and M116, were obtained after 3 rounds of panning and ELISA. Immunoassay showed that both M90 and M116 could bind to human HCC cells. The relative affinity of M90 was 1.7-fold higher than that of the original antibody, and M116 was 2-fold higher than that of the original antibody.

CONCLUSIONError-prone PCR is an effective and simple method for affinity maturation of antibodies isolated from a phage antibody library.

Antibodies, Neoplasm ; immunology ; Antibody Affinity ; Antibody Specificity ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; immunology ; pathology ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin Fragments ; immunology ; Immunoglobulin Variable Region ; genetics ; immunology ; Liver Neoplasms ; immunology ; pathology ; Mutation ; Peptide Library

B7-1 Antigen ; genetics ; immunology ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; genetics ; immunology ; Enterotoxins ; genetics ; immunology ; Genetic Vectors ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; genetics ; immunology ; T-Lymphocytes ; immunology ; Transfection ; Tumor Cells, Cultured

This study was aimed to investigate the proliferation activities and phenotype changes of DC, CIK and DC-CIK, and their cytotoxicity against hepatocarcinoma cells in co-culture of DC with CIK. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNC) were isolated from healthy adult donors. After incubation of PBMNC for 2 hours, DCs were induced from adherent cells by some cytokines and CIKs were generated from non-adherent cells. Mature DCs were harvested after incubation for 9 days, and then were co-cultured with CIK at ratio of 1:5 for 3 days. The cytotoxicity activity against SMMC-7721 hepatocellular carcinoma cell line was detected by MTT assay. The results showed that CIK cells were able to lyse SMMC-7721 hepatocellular carcinoma cells at low ratios of effector to target. This effect was significantly enhanced by co-culture with DCs. It is concluded that CIK cells have high lytic activity against 7721 hepatocellular carcinoma cell line, which can be enhanced by co-culture with DC. DC-CIK cells are highly effective immune cells.
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; immunology ; pathology ; Cells, Cultured ; Coculture Techniques ; Cytotoxicity, Immunologic ; Dendritic Cells ; cytology ; immunology ; Humans ; Killer Cells, Lymphokine-Activated ; cytology ; immunology ; Liver Neoplasms ; immunology ; pathology