title: In vitro cytotoxicity to various human tumor cell lines of a tumor cytotoxic factor(s) produced by human alveolar macrophages.
abstract: When human alveolar macrophages (AM) obtained by lavage of the lungs of healthy donors were incubated in medium with or without lipopolysaccharide (LPS) they released a factor(s) with tumor cell killing activity. This tumor cytolytic and/or cytotoxic factor(s) (TCF) was assayed by measuring its effect in inhibiting target cell growth. TCF activity was not observed in the supernatant from cultures of LPS-treated hematopoietic malignant cell lines (monocytic leukemia, B-cell leukemia and T-cell leukemia cell lines). Human TCF was significantly cytotoxic to 13 of 15 solid-tumor cell lines tested and to 7 of 9 hematopoietic malignant cell lines, but not to two different normal, nontumorigenic cell lines. TCF-rich supernatants contained low levels of interferon (IFN) activity that were not significantly cytotoxic to A-375 melanoma cells. Human TCF and IFN-alpha or IFN-beta had additive cytotoxic effects. These data suggest that human TCF released by activated human AM may be of potential use in the treatment of malignant disseminated diseases.
mesh_terms: D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology; D002460:Cell Line; D003602:Cytotoxicity, Immunologic; D003603:Cytotoxins / Q000276:immunology* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D007370:Interferon Type I / Q000276:immunology; D007371:Interferon-gamma / Q000276:immunology; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000276:immunology; D008262:Macrophage Activation; D008264:Macrophages / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology*; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000276:immunology; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D003603:Cytotoxins; D007370:Interferon Type I; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides; D007371:Interferon-gamma