Enhancement of lymphocyte-mediated K562 cytotoxicity by antibodies against complement membrane cofactor protein...

A natural killer (NK) target, K562 (a human erythroblastoid cell line), was found by flow cytometry to express three complement regulatory membrane proteins on its surface: decay-accelerating factor (DAF, CD55), membrane cofactor protein (MCP, CD46) and p18 (CD59). We examined the effects of F(ab')2 of polyclonal antibodies raised against DAF and MCP and monoclonal antibody to p18 on the susceptibility of K562 to cytolysis by homologous lymphocytes, granulocytes and complement. C3bi-deposition was induced on K562 when the cells were treated with both anti-DAF and anti-MCP. Lymphocyte-mediated K562 cytolysis was markedly enhanced by these two antibodies whereas anti-p18 barely affected the degree of cytolysis. Complement immunocytolysis, on the other hand, became highest by combination treatment with the three antibodies, although anti-p18 and either anti-DAF or anti-MCP induced little potentiation of cytolysis. Granulocytes showed the least cytolysis and minimal potentiation of lysis by treatment with both anti-DAF and anti-MCP.