Impact of IL-12 and IL-18 Combined Stimulation on INF-γ and TNF-α Production by PBMCs Derived from Egyptian Ovarian Cancer Patients

Abstract

Background: Cytokines play a crucial role in modulating the immune cells' response to tumors. Utilizing IL-18 and IL-12 as immunotherapeutic agents has gained much attention for cancer treatment. This study aimed to investigate the effect of combined stimulation with IL-12 and IL-18 on the ability of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) derived from Egyptian ovarian cancer (OC) patients to produce IFN-γ and TNF-α. Methods and Results: This in vitro study included 8 patients with benign ovarian tumors, 8 patients with low-grade OC, and 8 patients with high-grade OC. PBMCs were stimulated with IL-12 (10ng/ml) and IL-18 (50ng/ml) for 7 days. The levels of IFN-γ and TNF-α were quantified before and after stimulation by quantitative sandwich ELISA. Stimulated PBMCs isolated from patients with low-grade OC showed good ability to produce high levels of IFN-γ, while stimulated PBMCs isolated from patients with high-grade OC patients showed good and high production of TNF-α. Conclusion: We found that the combined stimulation with IL-12 and IL-18 significantly enhances the production of IFN-γ and TNF-α by PBMCs in OC patients, suggesting a potential avenue for cancer immunotherapy.

Keywords

• ovarian cancer
• ifn-γ
• il-12
• il-18
• peripheral blood mononuclear cells
• tnf-α