SV-IV, A MAJOR PROTEIN SECRETED FROM RAT SEMINAL-VESICLE EPITHELIUM, PROMOTES LYMPHOCYTE CYTOTOXIC ACTIVITY AGAINST THE LYMPHOBLASTOID RAJICELL-LINE IN HUMAN PERIPHERAL-BLOOD MONONUCLEAR-CELLS

The treatment of human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) with micromolar concentrations of SV-IV, a major protein secreted from the rat seminal vesicle epithelium, promotes in this cell population a mar ked cytotoxic activity against the Raji lymphoblastoid cell line. This activity is apparently due to cell-to-cell contact interactions, The expression of HLA DR on Raji cells has a modulatory effect on the SV-I V-induced cytotoxic activity, The experimental evidence strongly sugge sts that the cytotoxic effector cells are functionally activated NK ce lls. (C) 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.