[Synergistic effects of tumor necrosis factor interferon-gamma and chemotherapeutic drugs on human ovarian cancer cell lines in vitro].

Three ovarian cancer cell lines, NIH: OVCAR-3, 3AO, and AO were used in this study to assess the synergistic effect of TNF-alpha, IFN-gamma and chemotherapeutic drugs (epirubicin, carboplatin, fluorouracil). It was found that NIH: OVCAR-3 and 3AO cells were resistant to the individual treatment with TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma, while AO cells were sensitive to TNF-alpha but not to INF-gamma. Epirubicin and TNF-alpha were the two major cytotoxic agents to NIH: OVCAR-3. 3AO cells were susceptible to epirubicin, 5-Fu, TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma, while AO cells were sensitive to TNF and epirubicin. Carboplatin did not show any synergistic effect on all these three cell lines when combined with cytokines.