Objective      To explore the effect of cytokine induced killer (CIK) cells and dendritic cells (DCs) from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of patients with liver cancer on cell cycle and apoptosis of human liver cancer cell line HEPG2.       Methods      Adherent PBMCs were induced by GM-CSF

TNF-α and IL-4 to prepare DCs

which were sensitized with antigen of autol

ogous tissue of liver cancer. CIK cells were obtained from suspended PBMCs induced by IFN-γ

IL-2 and human CD3 monoclonal antibody (hCD3mAb). DCs-CIK cells and HEPG2 cell line were cultured in a transwell chamber

and were cultured separately by the membrane of transwell chamber for 24 h and 48 h

respectively. Cell cycle of HEPG2 cell line that was cultured with DCs-CIK cells for 24 h and 48 h was detected by flow cytometry (FCM). Annexin V-PI staining was applied for analysis of HEPG2 cell line apoptosis. mRNA and protein expression of Bax was determined by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blotting

respectively. HEPG2 cell line that was cultured without DCs-CIK cells was set as control.       Results       DCs-CIK cells markedly affected the cell cycle of HEPG2 cell line

which was blocked at G

1

stage when they were cultured together. DCs-CIK cells significantly induced HEPG2 cell line apoptosis compared with the control (P0.01). DCs-CIK cells significantly up-regulated mRNA and protein expression of Bax in HEPG2 cell line.       Conclusion       DCs-CIK cells of patient with liver cancer can apparently inhibit the growth of human cancer cell line HEPG2

and can induce cell apoptosis in a time-dependent and cell population-dependent manner.