Human lymphocytic B-leukemia cell line treatment with the bacterial toxin listeriolysin O and rituximab (anti-CD20 antibody): Effects of similar localization of their receptors

Small B-cell lymphocytic lymphoma/chronic lymphocytic leukemia, which typically affects elderly people, is a group of conditions that are not clinically uniform. It has been suggested that using the combined activity of the monoclonal antibody anti-CD20 (rituximab) and Listeria monocytogenes toxin listeriolysin O (LLO) for this condition could produce an enhanced treatment effect. Here, we tested the effect of the joint activity of rituximab and LLO, which is a cell membrane toxin, in human leukemia cell lines. The human B-leukemia Raji cell line, which expresses CD20, and the T-cell Jurkat cell line, which does not express CD20, for comparison were used in model tests. Cell cytotoxicity of rituximab or LLO and both applied jointly to the cell lines was compared in the presence of human plasma complement. Optimal cytotoxic effects dependent on rituximab or LLO concentration were tested separately. LD50 values were determined and used for optimal application of a mixture of the two factors. The cytotoxic e...