Functional analysis of peripheral blood lymphocytes from healthy volunteers.

Functional analysis of peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) from 46 healthy donors is described. For quantitation of cytotoxic activity a fluorescence-based assay is performed with commercially available human tumor cell lines as targets. For evaluation of natural-killer cell activity, the cell line K562 (NK-cell sensitive) and for T-cell activity Raji cells (NK-cell resistant) are used as targets. Since we are not using autologous cells as targets we are measuring the function of non MHC-restricted cytotoxic T-lymphocytes. The results show a median NK-cell activity of 77.4% (given in % lysis) and a median T-cell activity of 21.4% in healthy individuals at an effector-/target-cell ratio (E/T ratio) of 40:1. For correlating immunological parameters such as functionality of PBL from tumor patients with the progression of tumor growth, normal values are of great importance.