Cytotoxicity of human peripheral leukocytes on adenovirus-transformed cell culture.

Cytotoxicity of natural and adenovirus-infected mononuclear leukocytes of healthy individuals has been examined on permanent rat kidney cell line transformed by human adenovirus DNA as target. Mononuclear leukocytes of healthy individuals are cytotoxic cells which induce an average 24.5% growth inhibition on target cells. The cytotoxic activity of cells is significantly increased by the human adenovirus infection of effector mononuclear leukocytes, while the cytotoxic effect is significantly decreased by the simultaneous application of virus infection and anti-adenovirus serum. The anti-serum applied simultaneously with non-infected effector cells produces an intensive cytotoxic effect on the target cell culture. Though cytotoxicity of the effector cells was increased also by phytohaemagglutinin and Haemophilus influenzae endotoxin treatment of mononuclear leukocytes, this effect was not significant. The effector cells were not cytotoxic for control primary rat kidney cell culture.