In adoptive immunotherapy of cancer using lymphokine-activated killer(LAK) cells induced from patients' own peripheral blood, the efficient cytotoxicity of LAK cells is a principal requirement. Peripheral blood lymphocytes were obtained from 15
patients
with cervical cancer and 13 normal woman as a control, and LAK cells were induced with r-interleukin-2(rIL-2). Cytotoxie activity cultured cells were measured by a 4h-51 Cr release assay using NK(natural killer)-sensitive K-562 cell line and
NK-resistant RAJI target cells, and their surface phenotypes were determined by and immunfluorescence significantly increased compared with those activity without riL-2. Despite the ratio between effector and target cells, the cytotoxic poential
of
NK
and LAK cells of normal women were significantly higher than those of cervical cancer ptients. (P=0) However, LAK cell activity was relatively low but increased significantly in patients with cervical cancer, NK cell and LAK cell cytotoxicity in
the
group mass(4cm were significantly decreased compared with those in the group of tumor mass< 4cm. (Effector : target ratio = 50:1, NK : P=0.038, LAK : P=0.033) Surface phenotypes of peripheral lymphocytes and LAK cells were examined with indirect
immunoflurescence method. The CD 3 subpopoulations which are known to be major components of LAK cells were not diminished. After LAK cell induction with IL-2, the percentages of CD 16(Natural killer Cell) populations were significantly increased
in
normal(11.2% vs 48.3%) and cervical cancer patients (11.8% vs 47.8%). These data suggest that 1) the decline of NK LAK cell activity in cervical cancer patients, 2) the decreasing cytotoxicity with the increasing tumor mass, 3) the percentage of
natural
killer cell subpopulation dramatically increased with surface phenotype of LAK cells, 4) LAK cells may be applied for passive adoptive immunotherapy.
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