Activated killer cell activity of spleen cells from patients with gastric carcinoma.

The activated killer cell activity of spleen cells (SPC) from patients with gastric carcinoma were assayed in comparison with those of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBM) from the same patient or patients with benign lesions. The cytotoxic activity induced by alloactivation in mixed lymphocyte culture (MLC) of SPC was significantly higher than that of PBM from the same patient as well as from patients with benign lesions. The cytotoxicity induced by phytohemagglutinin (PHA) activation of SPC was also significantly higher than that of PBM from the same patient. Therefore, the productibility of interleukin 2 (IL2) and the ability to generate cytotoxic cells after activation with IL 2 (LAK) were examined. Subsequently, it was found that the ability of SPC to produce IL 2 and to induce LAK cells was significantly greater than that of PBM. The results indicate that the spleen may be a potential reservoir of the precursors of these activated killer cells in patients with gastric carcinoma.