Effect of radiotherapy on lymphocyte cytotoxicity in vitro.

The cytotoxic functions of highly purified blood lymphocytes from patients with breast cancer were studied before and after radiotherapy. Addition of PHA or of rabbit antibodies to target cells (chicken erythrocytes) were chosen as two means of inducing lymphocyte cytotoxicity in vitro. The proportion of T and non-T-lymphocytes was determined by means of E and EAC rosette tests. The antibody-induced cytotoxocity of lymphocytes decreased following radiotherapy while that mediated by PHA remained unchanged. There was some reduction in the percentage of EAC rosette-forming cells. These results, as well as our earlier observations, suggest that the decrease in the peripheral blood of the proportion of lymphocytes with receptors for activated complement is responsible for changes in the antibody-mediated lymphocyte cytotoxicity.