Long-term cultures of human peripheral blood lymphocytes with recombinant human interleukin-2 generate a population of virtually pure CD3+ CD16- CD56- large granular lymphocyte LAK cells.
It has been reported that lymphocytes from peripheral blood (PBL) cultured with interleukin-2 (IL-2) produce predominantly CD16+ lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells. We developed a two-step method to generate LAK cells from human PBL in long-term cultures (10-12 days) with recombinant human IL-2 (rhIL-2) and characterized the evolving LAK cell population by testing its phenotype and cytotoxic activity as a function of time. The starting PBL displayed some natural killer (NK) cytotoxicity but no LAK activity. At day 6, the cells were a mixed population of about 80% CD3+ and 6% CD16+ cells. Little proliferation was evident but strong LAK activity was detected. After 10-12 days, major cell expansion had occurred and they were essentially a pure (greater than 90%) CD3+ CD16- CD56- cell population large granular lymphocyte (LGL) by morphology that displayed strong non-MHC-restricted killing activity (greater than 200 lytic units). Over the same period of time, the CD16+ cells had almost completely regressed in these cultures. This preferential induction of CD+ LAK cells was not an effect of IL-2 concentration as 10 U/ml was as effective as 500 U/ml. Further characterization revealed a major population of CD4+ (60%) and CD8+ (30%) with a smaller fraction (less than 9%) of gamma delta + cells. These results indicate that a virtually pure CD3+ LAK cells population was produced with long-term cultures of lymphocytes from peripheral blood in rhIL-2, in which active proliferation of the CD3+ but not CD16+ cells occurred.
Roussel
E
E
Department of Immunology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada.
Gerrard
J M
JM
Greenberg
A H
AH
D000943:Antigens, Differentiation / Q000378:metabolism*; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte / Q000378:metabolism*; D017252:CD3 Complex; D019002:CD56 Antigen; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003594:Cytoplasmic Granules; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D006801:Humans; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015979:Killer Cells, Lymphokine-Activated / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000378:metabolism*; D011961:Receptors, Fc / Q000378:metabolism*; D017452:Receptors, IgG; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D013997:Time Factors
D000943:Antigens, Differentiation; D000945:Antigens, Differentiation, T-Lymphocyte; D017252:CD3 Complex; D019002:CD56 Antigen; D007376:Interleukin-2; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; D011961:Receptors, Fc; D017452:Receptors, IgG; D011994:Recombinant Proteins