[Cytotoxins from phagocytes]

Abstract

Endogenous protein factors such as animal lectins and fibrin are able to induce a cytotoxin from murine peritoneal macrophages. Cytotoxins were also induced from immature macrophages in bone marrow and polymorphonuclear leukocytes. These three cytotoxins differed in their releasing mechanisms, but they showed common antigenicity. TNF was chemotactic for polymorphonuclear leukocytes. Therefore, the antitumor effects of cytotoxins may include the participation of normal cells as well as their direct cytotoxicity.