Splenic mediated erythrocyte cytotoxicity in malaria.

Cell-mediated cytotoxicity in virulent rodent malaria has been demonstrated in vitro, whereby splenic cells effected specific lysis of 51Cr-labelled erythrocytes from parasitized animals. More than one cellular cytolytic effector system appeared to be operative in the mouse. One effector system involved splenic macrophages, from normal or immune animals, which were increasingly cytotoxic to target cells in the presence of antibody. A second effector system involved nylonpurified immune spleen cells which were significantly more cytotoxic than similary prepared normal spleen cells in the presence of immune serum. Although antibody alone was not cytolytic, the data strengthen the concept that immune spleen cells and antibody can interact in a co-operative fashion to mediate cytotoxic reactions in malaria.