Reactivity of lymphocytes from normal persons on cultured tumor cells.

Abstract

Summary Cultured tumor cells from 7 established lines and 12 short-term cultures were reacted with lymphocytes from patients with the same “histological type” of cancer as the target cells in 995 tests and with lymphocytes from normal controls in 1099 tests. The average reactivity was significantly greater with lymphocytes from normal persons in 3 of the 7 established lines and 2 of 12 short-term cultures. In only 1 short-term bladder tumor culture was there indication of greater cytotoxicity produced by lymphocytes from bladder cancer patients than by cells from normal persons. Cell-mediated target cell reduction of cultured human tumor cells is not confined to patients with cancer.