Modulation of cell surface EGF receptor and HLA expression on glioma cell lines induced with cytokines and differentiation promoters

Alterations of cell surface expression of HLA (class I, class II DR, DP and DQ) and EGF-receptor on two malignant glioma cell lines (U-343MG and U-563MG) induced with cytokines (IFN-gamma, TNF-alpha, IL-1 alpha) and differentiation promoters (all-trans retinoic acid, phorbol ester TPA) were analyzed with the aid of flow cytometry. IFN-gamma induced a 10-15fold increase of HLA class I. TNF-alpha alone induced a two- to fivefold increase of HLA class I cell surface density and increased the IFN-gamma induced upregulation of HLA class I to approximately 20-24 times the antigen density of uninduced cells. TNF-alpha was able to increase HLA class II DR and DP cell surface expression on glioma lines, but it enhanced only the IFN-gamma-induced HLA class II DR upregulation. All-trans retinoic acid and TPA regulated in the opposite way the EGF-receptor cell surface expression on U-563MG cells.