Lysing of fresh human tumor by a cytotoxic factor derived from autologous large granular lymphocytes independently of other known cytokines.

During interaction with autologous tumor cells large granular lymphocytes (LGL) of cancer patients released a soluble cytotoxic factor, termed LGL-derived cytotoxic factor, which mediated lysing of autologous fresh tumor cells. The cytotoxic factor was compared with purified human recombinant cytotoxic cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor (TNF), lymphotoxin (LT), interferon (IFN) alpha, IFN gamma, interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1 alpha) and IL-2. The LGL cytotoxic factor exhibited cytotoxicity against autologous and allogeneic fresh human tumor cells in an 18-h 51Cr-release assay, while these target cells were resistant to lysing by any of the recombinant cytokines. Mixtures of recombinant(r) TNF, rLT, rIFN alpha, rIFN gamma, rIL-1 alpha and rIL-2 were still unable to produce cytotoxic effects on fresh human tumor cells. Treatment with monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies directed against rTNF, rLT, rIFN alpha, rIFN gamma, or rIL-1 alpha did not inhibit the cytotoxic activity of LGL-derived cytotoxic factor against fresh human tumor cells. Even a mixture of all the antibodies was incapable of blocking the cytolytic activity of the factor to fresh human tumor cells. Furthermore, intact LGL-mediated lysing of autologous tumor cells was not inhibited by any of the antibodies. These results may indicate that a cytotoxic factor produced by LGL in response to autologous tumor cells mediates lysing of fresh human tumor cells independently of TNF, LT, IFN, IL-1 and IL-2.