THE DETECTION AND IDENTIFICATION OF SUB-POPULATIONS OF CIRCULATING HUMAN-LYMPHOCYTES, MONOCYTES AND NEUTROPHILS CAPABLE OF EFFECTING A MITOGEN-INDUCED CELL-MEDIATED CYTO-TOXIC REACTION TOWARDS ERYTHROCYTES OF VARIOUS SPECIES

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  • 1 January 1980
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 41  (3) , 623-634
Abstract
The mitogen-induced cell-mediated cytotoxic (MICC) reaction was evaluated in terms of its capacity to identify cytotoxic cells among normal human blood leukocytes. Three conventional mitogens were used (phytohemagglutinin (PHA), pokeweed (PWM) and concanavalin (Con) A) and 9 different erythrocyte target cells (chicken, horse, human, ox, rabbit, sheep, mouse, rat and guinea pig). The effector cells investigated were mononuclear cells, monocyte-depleted mononuclear cells and polymorphonuclear leukocytes. PHA consistently mediated the lysis of only chicken erythrocytes; PWM consistently mediated the lysis of rabbit erythrocytes and, to a much lesser degree, chicken and rat erythrocytes. Con A consistently mediated the lysis of chicken, horse, rabbit, guinea pig and sheep erythrocytes. Irrespective of the target cell used, PHA and Con A facilitated target cell lysis by monocytes and polymorphs, but not by lymphocytes which displayed no cytotoxic activity in the presence of these 2 mitogens. PWM-mediated cytolysis of rabbit erythrocyte target cells was induced by lymphocytes in addition to monocytes and polymorphs. Only monocytes were able to lyse chicken erythrocytes in the presence of PWM; polymorphs and lymphocytes were inactive. Agglutination or aggregation of the target cells by the mitogen is not a mandatory concomitant of the MICC reaction. Some erythrocytes may be agglutinated by the mitogen without being lysed by effector cells in the presence of the mitogen. The mechanism of mitogen-mediated cytolysis of target cells remains to be elucidated. The MICC assay probably can be utilized as a probe to permit the selective detection of functionally distinct subpopulations of cytotoxic monocytes, lymphoctes and polymorphs. Whether these cytotoxic cells are identical to, overlap or are distinct from those cells which mediate the NOCC [naturally occurring (antibody-independent) cell-mediated cytotoxicity] and ADCC [antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity] reactions remains to be determined.