Specificity of cell-mediated cytotoxicity against human melanoma lines: evidence for "non-specific" killing by activated T-cells.

The specificity of cell-mediated cytotoxicity against melanoma cells in vitro has been analyzed in a large number of studies with cells both from normal and melanoma subjects. As in a number of other, recent, similar human studies, no evidence for tumour specificity was found. Effector cells in peripheral blood responsible for the cytotoxic reaction were examined by cell separation methods based on red cell rosette formation and separation through Hypaque-Ficoll mixtures. The evidence suggests that nonspecificity results from killing by cells separating largely in the non-sheep red blood cell rosetting fraction and which have cytotoxic specificity directed broadly to cells with abnormal membranes. Further analysis revealed that the cells were non-phagocytic and did not bear receptors for complement. They appear to be activated into cell division and to bear surface receptors for the Fc portion ofIgG. Additional evidence is presented suggesting that the cells mainly responsible are activated thymus-dependent cells present in the circulation of both tumour-bearing and normal subjects.