Tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes in cervical carcinoma

Tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes from cervical carcinomas were cultivated in the presence of interleukin-2. The majority of bulk cultures were cytotoxic against K562, Mel 1 and Caski cells. CD8+ cells were the predominant subset in over 50% of cultures, with varying numbers of CD56+ and CD25+ cells. T cell clones were established from six tumour-infiltrating lymphocyte cultures and the majority exhibited non-MHC-restricted cytotoxicity. However, in one case cytotoxicity of several derived clones was limited to the autologous tumour and in another, to the autologous tumour and Caski cells. This study indicates that tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes can be amplified and cloned from cervical carcinoma biopsies in the presence of rIL2. Although the predominant cytolytic function is non-MHC-restricted, low autotumour cytotoxicity can be demonstrated at the clonal level. The nature of the antigen(s) recognised by T cells on autologous cervical carcinoma cells in unknown; the candidacy of human papillomavirus-related products requires investigation.