Cytotoxicity tests against cultured human lung cancer cells with autologous lymphocytes activated in vitro by mitomycin C-treated tumor monolayers in the presence of T-cell growth factor.
Human peripheral blood or lymph node lymphocytes, obtained from patients with a variety of lung cancer, were incubated in vitro with mitomycin C-treated tumor monolayers in the presence of T-cell growth factor. The cytotoxicity of these lymphocytes for autologous tumor cells (autologous killer activity) was assessed by a 4-hr 51Cr-release assay. Cytotoxic activity was observed in 14 out of a total of 20 cases. Lymphocytes from patients with squamous cell carcinoma, large cell carcinoma and carcinoid exhibited positive activity levels of 11.1 +/- 1.8, 16.3 and 23.9% respectively. Nine out of 13 patients with adenocarcinoma exhibited positive activity with a mean value of 8.8 +/- 6.8%. No lymphocyte activity against small cell carcinoma was observed. Natural killer (NK) activity did not always correlate with autologous killer (AK) activity. Treatment of lymphocytes with monoclonal anti-human lymphocyte antibody revealed differences in effector cell populations concerning these two activities; AK activity was abrogated only by treatment with anti-human Lyt 3 antibody and complement, whereas NK activity was abrogated by anti-human Lyt 1, 2 and 3 and partially by anti-human Ia antibody. These results indicate that AK activity is mediated exclusively by T cells, but that NK activity is mediated by several subpopulations of lymphocytes such as T cells, null cells and others.
D000230:Adenocarcinoma / Q000276:immunology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000276:immunology; D002276:Carcinoid Tumor / Q000276:immunology; D018288:Carcinoma, Small Cell / Q000276:immunology; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000276:immunology; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003165:Complement System Proteins / Q000276:immunology; D003601:Cytotoxicity Tests, Immunologic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000276:immunology*; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016685:Mitomycin; D008937:Mitomycins / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013602:T-Lymphocytes, Cytotoxic / Q000276:immunology*
D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D007376:Interleukin-2; D008937:Mitomycins; D016685:Mitomycin; D003165:Complement System Proteins