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Interferon-β Is More Potent Than Interferon-α in Inhibition of Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cell Growth When Used Alone and in Combination With Anticancer Drugs

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Abstract

Background:The prognosis of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is extremely poor, but promising effects of chemotherapies combined with interferon (IFN) have been reported.

Methods:To develop more effective combination therapies for HCC, we compared the antiproliferative effects of IFN-α and IFN-β in combination with various cytotoxic drugs on hepatoma cell lines using MTT assay and isobologram analysis.

Results:IFN-β was more potent than IFN-α in inhibiting the cell growth of all cell lines (P < .05, two-way ANOVA). PLC/PRF/5 was more sensitive to either IFN, than HLE and HuH7. Cell growth of all cell lines was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner by 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), cisplatin (CDDP), and doxorubicin (DOX), but the sensitivities of these cells were considerably different. As for IFN-α, synergistic effects were observed when combined with 5-FU and DOX on PLC/PRF/5 cells only, whereas IFN-β showed synergistic effects with 5-FU and CDDP on HuH7 and PLC/PRF/5 cell lines.

Conclusion:The spectra of the antiproliferative activity and synergistic effect of IFN-β when combined with anticancer drugs are more potent than those of IFN-α. Combinations of IFN-β and anticancer drugs may provide a better treatment of HCC when combinations with IFN-α are ineffective.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Surgery and Clinical Oncology (E2), Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, Osaka, Japan

    Bazarragchaa Damdinsuren MD, Hiroaki Nagano PhD, Masato Sakon PhD, Motoi Kondo PhD, Tameyoshi Yamamoto MD, Koji Umeshita PhD, Keizo Dono PhD, Shoji Nakamori PhD & Morito Monden PhD

  2. Department of Surgery and Clinical Oncology (E2), Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka University, 2-2, Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan

    Masato Sakon PhD

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  1. Bazarragchaa Damdinsuren MD
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  2. Hiroaki Nagano PhD
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  3. Masato Sakon PhD
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  4. Motoi Kondo PhD
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  5. Tameyoshi Yamamoto MD
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  6. Koji Umeshita PhD
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  7. Keizo Dono PhD
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  8. Shoji Nakamori PhD
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  9. Morito Monden PhD
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Correspondence to Masato Sakon PhD.

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Damdinsuren, B., Nagano, H., Sakon, M. et al. Interferon-β Is More Potent Than Interferon-α in Inhibition of Human Hepatocellular Carcinoma Cell Growth When Used Alone and in Combination With Anticancer Drugs. Ann Surg Oncol 10, 1184–1190 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1245/ASO.2003.03.010

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1245/ASO.2003.03.010

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