Antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity in blood monocytes and alveolar macrophages in patients with lung cancer.

Antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), mediated by blood monocytes (MNC) and pulmonary alveolar macrophages (PAM) obtained from 31 patients with lung cancer and 13 control subjects, was determined. The ADCC of the PAM obtained from patients with lung cancer was significantly less (40% reduction) than that of the control group. This finding was demonstrated over the range of effector-to-target cell ratios. The ADCC of blood MNC from the cancer patients was not different from that of control subjects and in both groups the ADCC of blood MNC was significantly greater than that of lung macrophages. Comparison of PAM ADCC in smokers and nonsmokers within the control group suggested that the lower activity in cancer patients was not simply an effect of smoking.