Stress renders T cell blasts sensitive to killing by activated syngeneic NK cells.

Exposure of primary T cell blasts to stress in the forms of heat, hydrogen peroxide, or high-density growth conditions resulted in a state of enhanced susceptibility to killing by syngeneic IL-2-activated NK cells or lymphokine-activated killer cells, but not to killing by CTL. Cytotoxicity was perforin mediated and was not due to decreased target expression of total MHC class I. The levels of stress used had little effect on cell viability. For thermal stress, sensitization increased with temperature, required a minimum exposure time, and disappeared when cells were given a long enough recovery time. Our data support a model that predicts that activated NK cells play a role in the immunosurveillance of nontransformed stressed cells in normal animals.