Neutrophil-mediated antibody-dependent killing of herpes-simplex-virus-infected cells

The ability of neutrophils to serve as effectors of antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) was studied using herpes-simplex-virus-infected (HSV-infected) human embryonic lung cells as targets. Killing of infected cells by neutrophils required HSV-immune serum and did not take place in the presence of nonimmune serum or in the absence of serum. Uninfected cells were not killed. ADCC was evident by 30 min and reached a value of 66% by 4 hr at an effector:target ratio of 100:1. Cells from patients with chronic granulomatous disease were as effective as normal cells, and this indicates that ADCC could be mediated by processes that are independent of the respiratory burst.