effect of thermal stress on mica/b induction in a human liposarcoma cell line

background: a possible mechanism by which hyperthermia enhances tumor immunogenicity is the induction of nkg2d ligands on tumor cells. although the expression of mhc class i chain-related protein a and b (mica/b) has previously been reported in different carcinomas, there is no information about mica/b expression in liposarcomas. objective: to investigate mica/b induction in a human liposarcoma cell line (sw-872) after thermotherapy. methods: sw-872 and hela cell lines were subjected to thermal stress for 1 h at 42, 44 and 46c, and after 2, 4 and 6 h of incubation at 37c, mica/b expression was assessed at the mrna and protein levels. results: despite high levels of mica/b transcripts in sw-872 cells at baseline, the expression of these genes decreased significantly at both the mrna and protein levels after almost all thermal treatments. conclusion: our data conclude that thermotherapy under 42-46°c had no effect on mica/b induction on sw-872 liposarcoma cell line but the effects of fever-range temperatures remain to be tested on this cell line.