A homogeneous population of lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells is incapable of killing virus-, bacteria-, or parasite-infected macrophages.
Previous reports have suggested a role for natural killer (NK) cells in directly lysing host cells infected with bacteria and other intracellular microorganisms. Here, we determined the inability of a highly homogeneous population of lymphokine activated killer (LAK) cells to kill macrophages infected with the following intracellular parasites: Mycobacterium avium, Listeria monocytogenes, Legionella pneumophila, Toxoplasma gondii, and Trypanosoma cruzi. In parallel cytotoxicity assays, LAK cells lysed the tumor targets YAC-1 and P815 effectively. Furthermore, we were able to demonstrate that influenza-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL), but not LAK cells, were efficient killers of influenza virus-infected macrophages.
Zychlinsky
A
A
Laboratory of Cellular Physiology and Immunology, Rockefeller University, New York, New York 10021.
Karim
M
M
Nonacs
R
R
Young
J D
JD
D000818:Animals; D014355:Chagas Disease / Q000276:immunology; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D007111:Immunity, Cellular; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D015979:Killer Cells, Lymphokine-Activated / Q000276:immunology*; D007875:Legionella / Q000276:immunology; D008089:Listeria monocytogenes / Q000276:immunology; D008088:Listeriosis / Q000276:immunology; D008264:Macrophages / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000469:parasitology; D051379:Mice; D009162:Mycobacterium avium; D009975:Orthomyxoviridae / Q000276:immunology; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology; D014122:Toxoplasma; D014124:Toxoplasmosis, Animal / Q000276:immunology; D014349:Trypanosoma cruzi