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Human spleen and peripheral blood lymphocytes activated by interleukin-2 have similar phenotypic and functional

J C Voltarelli1, A A Rayner, M R Garovoy

  • 1Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco.

Journal of Biological Response Modifiers
|February 1, 1990
PubMed

Insights

Human spleen and peripheral blood cells activated with interleukin-2 (IL-2) generate similar lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells. These LAK cells show potent cytotoxic activity, suggesting potential for cancer immunotherapy.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Cell Biology
  • Cancer Research

Background:

  • Natural killer (NK) cells and T cells are crucial components of the immune system.
  • Interleukin-2 (IL-2) is a cytokine that stimulates lymphocyte proliferation and activation.
  • Lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells are immune cells with potent anti-tumor activity.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the phenotypic markers and cytotoxic functions of LAK cells derived from human peripheral blood and spleen.
  • To investigate the potential of spleen-derived LAK cells for adoptive immunotherapy.

Main Methods:

  • Normal human mononuclear cells from peripheral blood and spleen were cultured with recombinant IL-2.
  • Phenotypic markers (e.g., CD3, NKH1, CD5) and cytotoxic activity against tumor cell lines (K562, Daudi, COLO) were assessed.
  • Antibody-dependent cell cytotoxicity was evaluated against a B-cell line.
  • Cell sorting was used to identify specific cell populations responsible for target cell killing.

Main Results:

  • IL-2 stimulation significantly increased NK cell populations in both blood and spleen cultures.
  • Spleen and peripheral blood LAK cells exhibited comparable cytotoxic activity against K562, Daudi, and COLO cells, peaking at 7 days.
  • Both circulating and splenic LAK cells mediated antibody-dependent cell cytotoxicity.
  • Specific subsets of LAK cells (CD5+NKH1+ and CD5-NKH1+) were responsible for killing different target cells.

Conclusions:

  • Human spleen LAK cells possess similar phenotypic and functional characteristics to circulating LAK cells.
  • Spleen-derived LAK cells are a viable source for generating effector cells for adoptive cancer immunotherapy.

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