A comparison of antibody dependent cellular cytotoxic potential in macrophages obtained from normal donors and cancer patients.

Human monocyte derived macrophages obtained from both normal donors and cancer patients can carry out antibody dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) to human tumor targets. The macrophages from breast and hematologic cancer patients with Stage I, II or III disease and colon cancer patients with Stage III disease killed tumor cells less effectively than the macrophages from normal donors. In contrast, the macrophages from colon cancer patients with Stage I and II disease killed the tumor targets as well as the macrophages from normal donors. Macrophages from head and neck cancer patients with Stage I and II disease killed tumor cells less effectively than the macrophages obtained from normal donors. In contrast, macrophages obtained from head and neck cancer patients with Stage III disease killed the tumor targets as well as the macrophages from normal donors. It must also be noted that individual patients did not always conform to the group pattern.