[Analysis of cytolytic activity and cell surface phenotypes of lymphokine activated killer cells stimulated with R-IL 2 and an anti-CD 3 antibody].

We analyzed cytolytic activity and cell surface phenotypes of LAK (lymphokine activated killer) cells which were stimulated with recombinant IL-2 and an anti-CD3 antibody. This study involved 9 patients with astrocytomas, one patient with ganglioglioma, and one patient with medulloblastoma and their ages ranged between 5 and 80yr. Peripheral blood lymphocytes were separated from about 40 ml venous blood on a Ficoll-Paque gradient. After PBL's were cultured with r-IL 2 and anti-CD 3 antibody for about two weeks, more than 10(8) LAK cells could be obtained. Their cytolytic activity was measured by standard 4 hours-51Cr release assay and K 562, Daudi, U 251 MG, MCF-7, and autologous tumor cells were used as target cells. Their surface phenotypes (CD 3, CD 4, CD 8, CD 16, CD 25, Leu 7, HLA-DR) were measured by FACS. These LAK cells showed weaker killing activity against all kinds of tumor cells than usual LAK cells (LAK cells stimulated with r-IL 2 alone) did. Their surface phenotypes were more sensitive to CD 3 and less sensitive to CD 16 and Leu 7 than those of usual LAK cells. One of weak points of so-called LAK therapy is that many PBL's have to be obtained by leukapheresis and because of that, it is difficult to undertake LAK therapy to children or elderly patients. However, by using an anti-CD 3 antibody, enough LAK cells as effector of LAK therapy could be obtained more easily.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)