Antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity in pigs.

Development of antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) was studied in cells obtained from porcine fetal and neonatal tissues. Pulmonary washouts, hepatic tissues, splenic tissues, and neutrophil fractions of blood were sources of cells. Neutrophils from fetuses and newborn pigs had high levels of ADCC activity, whereas the cells obtained from the other organs had highest activity shortly after the pig was born; in the case of pulmonary and hepatic cells, activity decreased by 84 hours following birth of the animal. The increased ADCC activity in tissues of pigs after birth appeared to coincide with increasing numbers of neutrophils in the various tissues.