Human lymph node lymphocytes fail to effect lysis of antibody-coated target cells

Human lymphocytes prepared from peripheral blood, lymph nodes, spleen and thymus were titrated for ability to mediate lysis of human target cells coated with rabbit anti target antibody. Lymphocytes from blood and spleen produced efficient lysis of targets in the presence of antibody. Lymph node cells and thymocytes were essentially non-reactive in this system. Lymph node preparations from non-cancer patients contained approximately 25% of non-T cells with receptors for Fc,C3 and/or Ig. Regional lymph nodes from patients with primary tumours contained 37-50% non-T cells by the same criteria. Failure of lymph node lymphocytes to effect lysis of antibody-coated targets did not therefore correlate with content of Fc or C3 bearing cells per se. The effector cell in antibody-dependent cytotoxicity in other systems has been shown to carry Fc and C3 receptors, but not surface Ig. This cell type appears to be absent or non-functional in human lymph nodes.