LYMPHOKINE-ACTIVATED CYTOTOXICITY IN PERIPHERAL-BLOOD MONONUCLEAR-CELLS OF SEVERELY IMMUNOCOMPROMISED HIV-INFECTED PATIENTS

The authors determined the natural killer (NK) and lymphokine-activate d killer (LAK) activities of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs ) from a severely immunocompromised (CD4 cell counts < 100/mm(3)) grou p of AIDS patients, using K562 and U937 target cells. An increase in c ytotoxicity was observed in the PBMCs of all 17 patients following a 4 8 h incubation with the combination of 400 U/ml of recombinant gamma i nterferon plus 20 U/ml of natural interleukin-2. Although NK and LAK a ctivities were significantly higher in healthy controls than in patien ts, patients' LAK activity was higher than the NK activity of controls . The authors also demonstrated that the use of medium containing feta l bovine serum, when compared with medium containing autologous serum, increases NK activity without affecting LAK activity. Lymphokine augm entation of cytotoxicity is achievable in severely immunocompromised A IDS patients and might be of benefit in delaying opportunistic infecti ons and malignancies.