Nature of the effector cells responsible for antibody-dependent cell-mediated killing of Cryptococcus neoformans

Studies were performed to identify the types of human peripheral blood leukocytes capable of killing Cryptococcus neoformans in the presence of anticryptococcal antibody in vitro. A total of 24.1 +/- 2.7% (mean +/- standard error of the mean of four experiments) of the original cryptococcal inoculum survived in a mixed mononuclear, cell preparation (approximately 30% monocytes) after 4 h of incubation at 37 degrees C with rabbit anticryptococcal antibody. When phagocytic cells were removed, there was 36.4 +/- 4.6% survival in six experiments, compared with 52.8% survival in the presence of purified granulocytes (mean of two experiments) and 96.9 +/- 1% survival in the presence of purified T cells. There was never any significant killing in control mixtures that contained leukocytes with normal rabbit serum nor in those that contained anticryptococcal antibody without effector leukocytes. Significant antibody-dependent fungicidal activity was seen with ratios of effector to target cells as low as 6.25:1. These observations indicate that multiple types of peripheral blood leukocytes, excluding T cells, are capable of antibody-dependent fungicidal activity.