Tumor lymphocytes in patients with advanced ovarian cancer: changes during in vitro culture and implications for immunotherapy.

Tumor specimens and ascites of patients with advanced ovarian cancer were utilized to obtain both primary ovarian carcinoma cell cultures and lymphocytes: tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) from solid tumor tissue and tumor-associated lymphocytes (TALs) from peritoneal fluid. Tumor lymphocytes were grown in coculture with autologous tumor cells and recombinant human IL-2 (rhIL-2) for up to 4 weeks and at weekly intervals these were examined with respect to phenotype and cytotoxicity. The phenotype was studied using flow cytometry for a variety of human immunocompetent cell surface markers (CD3, CD4 CD8, CD16, CD56, TCR alphabeta, TCRgammadelta).