Cytotoxic effect of anti-lymphocytic globulin on human lymphoid cells.

The cytotoxic activity of two anti-lymphocytic globulin (ALG) preparations was investigated by measurement of 51Cr release from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells and tonsil lymphocytes incubated with ALG in the presence of complement. Both types of ALG had a greater complement-dependent cytotoxic effect on tonsil lymphocytes than on peripheral blood mononuclear cells. The ALG preparations were more cytotoxic for a population of tonsil lymphocytes enriched in non-T cells than for one enriched in T cells. This finding does not support the view that ALG has a selective action on T lymphocytes.