[Antibody-dependent cell-mediated immune reactions--fundamentals and clinico-diagnostic relevance (author's transl)]

Antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity is realized by means of humoral antibodies and unsensitized effector cells which interact with appropriate target structures inducing target cell destruction. Specificity of this immunological effector mechanism is mediated by immunoglobulins. Autologous, allogenic or xenogenic effector cells serve as efficient inductors of cell lysis. The in vivo relevance is still unclear. The present state of our knowledge has been surveyed and several samples are given showing the potential clinical importance of this immune mechanism in control of intracellular virus infections, bacterial and parasitological diseases, tumor and graft rejection, and autoimmune diseases. It has been attempted to interpret several apparently different immune phenomena (antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity, "spontaneous" or "natural" cell-mediated cytotoxicity, mitogen-induced cell-mediated cytotoxicity and cytotoxic reactions of activated macrophages) under a common aspect.