FIGURE 3.

Change on DC marker levels and IL-12 secretion by nimotuzumab-activated NK cells. (A) Analysis of CD83/HLA-DR/CD137L/PD-L1 expression on DC co-cultured with NK: PCI-15B with no treatment or in the presence of cetuximab or panitumumab or nimotuzumab (each 10 μg/mL, 48 h). Expression levels of molecules are represented in fold change of MFI related to levels on control DC co-cultured with NK: PCI-15B alone (no treatment). Significant upregulation of CD83/HLA-DR/CD13L were obtained with the use of nimotuzumab or cetuximab in comparison with co-culture without treatment or with panitumumab (^∗p < 0.05). A two-tailed unpaired test was conducted for statistical analysis. Data are representative of three experiments from five different donors. Nimotuzumab induces significant less upregulation of the inhibitory marker PD-L1 on DC as compared with cetuximab (^∗p < 0.05). Data are representative of two experiments from four different donors. (B) Enhancement by nimotuzumab of IL-12 secretion in DC-NK co-culture. The level of IL-12 was determine in the supernatant from co-culture of 3 × 10⁵ DC: NK: PCI-15B (1:1:1 ratio) incubated with no treatment or with nimotuzumab or cetuximab or panitumumab (each at 10 mg/mL for 48 h). Values are mean ± SEM of two independent experiments from two separate donors. Similar values were obtained for nimotuzumab and cetuximab while no treatment or panitumumab incubation didn’t induce IL-12 secretion (^∗∗∗p < 0.001). A two-tailed unpaired test was conducted for statistical analysis.