Naturally-occurring cellular cytotoxicity mediated by neutrophil polymorphonuclears: requirements for the target cell lysis.

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the general conditions under which neutrophil polymorphonuclears (PMN) mediate antibody-independent cytolysis in the presence of normal human serum (NHS). Normal PMN were found to kill rabbit red blood cells (RRBC) only when cultured with 1% NHS. NHS was per se incapable of lysing RRBC. PMN from a patient with Chronic Granulomatous Disease did not destroy RRBC targets even in the presence of 1% NHS. In addition, cytotoxicity by normal PMN was significantly reduced by scavengers of oxygen metabolites. The results suggest that the target cell lysis by PMN in the presence of NHS requires a synergistic interaction between at least two mediators: serum factor(s) and oxygen metabolite(s).