Studies on the natural killer cell activity of human nonadherent mononuclear cells (nMNC) with tumor necrosis factor, interleukin-1, interferon-gamma and cisplatin.

The potential for additive or synergistic augmentation of NK cell activity of nMNC with recombinant tumor necrosis factor (TNF-alpha), interleukin-1 (IL-1), interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) and cisplatin in different combinations was examined. Significant augmentation in NK activity of nMNC was observed when treated with cisplatin, rIFN-gamma, rIL-1 or rTNF-alpha in vitro. Combined treatment of nMNC with rIL-1 and rTNF-alpha resulted in moderate increase in NK cell activity. However, killing of K 562 target cells was markedly augmented by co-stimulation of nMNC with rIL-1 plus rIFN-gamma and rIL-1 plus cisplatin. Further, only a moderate augmentation of NK activity was observed when nMNC were treated with cisplatin plus TNF or IFN-gamma. These observations demonstrated the individual and co-stimulative effects on NK function of nMNC in vitro by rTNF-alpha, rIL-1, cisplatin and rIFN-gamma.