[Effect of different types of interferon on the natural cellular cytotoxicity of lung cancer patients]

Abstract

The natural killer cell cytotoxicity was studied in the 4 hour and 18 hour cytotoxic reaction with cultured human tumour cells (K562 and lung adenocarcinoma) labelled by 51Cr. The natural killer cell activity of cancer patients was lowered only in 4 hour cytotoxic reaction with target cells K562. The natural and recombinant leucocyte interferon and natural immune interferon stimulated in vitro the activity of natural killer cells in most of the experiments (80.5 %) in the 4 hour and 18 hour cytotoxic reactions both from patients with initially lowered level, and with normal or high level of cytotoxic action of natural killer cells. In some experiments interferon preparations did not significantly influence the lysis of tumour cells or even suppressed the activity of effector cells. The heterogeneity of the population of natural killer cells and different immunomodulating effects of interferon were discussed.