Effect of treatment with glutaurine on human antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC)

The effects of in vitro and in vivo treatment with glutaurine, a newly discovered parathyroid hormone possessing immunostimulative activity, on human antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) were studied in 15 tumor patients with healthy subjects in a xenogeneic test system using chicken erythrocytes as target cells. A marked increase in "K" cell activity was observed in 8 tumor patients with originally low cytotoxic capacity, while originally normal ADCC activity of other tumor patients and healthy subjects was not significantly influenced by glutaurine treatment. The changes in cytotoxicity were not accompanied by changes in lymphocyte populations. Incubation of effector cells with glutaurine in vitro caused no change in ADCC activity in lymphocyte populations. Some similarities between the effects of glutaurine treatment of ADCC and that of dialyzable leukocyte extracts are discussed.