c-Ha-ras oncogene transfection does not affect NK cell sensitivity of human colorectal carcinoma cell lines.

BACKGROUND, MATERIALS AND METHODS: To investigate whether a c-Ha-ras oncogene, pointmutated in codon 12, modulates NK sensitivity of human colorectal tumor cells, this oncogene was introduced in two colorectal carcinoma cell lines, i.e. CaCo2 and SW480.

RESULTS

Although transfection with this oncogene increased the levels of c-Ha-ras mRNA (4- to 5-fold) and induced phenotypic and genotypic changes, respectively, in the CaCo2 and SW480 cell lines, the susceptibility to NK cell lysis was only marginally affected. However, CaCo2 and SW480 cell lines transfected with a plasmid containing the wild type of the c-Ha-ras gene were found to be more sensitive to NK cells.

CONCLUSIONS

The present study suggests that the sensitivity of human colorectal carcinoma cells to NK cell activity in vitro depends only marginally on the expression of the c-Ha-ras oncogene.