Cytotoxic effect in vitro of B lymphocytes and killer (K) cells in ulcerative colitis.
A mixture of B lymphocytes and K cells was isolated from serum of 18 patients suffering from ulcerative colitis (U.C.) and of 10 healthy individuals constituting the control group. The cytotoxic effect of these cells in vitro on the large bowel epithelial cells was examined. It was found that the mixture of B lymphocytes and K cells obtained from the patients suffering from ulcerative colitis destroyed the epithelial cells of large bowel, and that the cytotoxic effect depended primarily upon a degree of the severity of the disease. The results obtained confirmed our suggestion that B lymphocytes and K cells cooperate directly in the cytotoxic reaction.
D000920:Antibody-Dependent Cell Cytotoxicity; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000276:immunology*; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000276:immunology*; D003106:Colon / Q000473:pathology; D003601:Cytotoxicity Tests, Immunologic / Q000379:methods; D004848:Epithelium / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000276:immunology*