Cytolysis of oligodendrocytes is mediated by killer (K) cells but not by natural killer (NK) cells.

The cytotoxic activity of killer (K) cells against enriched cultures of bovine oligodendrocytes (BOL) was investigated in multiple sclerosis (MS) and controls. Human K cells mediated cytotoxicity to primary cultures of BOL in the presence of anti-BOL antiserum in all study groups, while BOL were resistant to human natural killer (NK) cells. Cytotoxic activity was significantly reduced in MS when compared to age-matched normal controls but not when compared to other neurologic disease (OND) patients. K cell-mediated lysis of BOL could also be induced with anti-galactocerebroside antibody but not with other antibodies including those specific for OL antigens (myelin basic protein, proteolipid apoprotein, and 2',3'-cyclic nucleotide 3'-phosphodiesterase). Enrichment of the effector population indicated that antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) to BOL was mediated by large granular lymphocytes, and the effector population was further characterized by flow cytometry. The effector cells mediating ADCC could be inhibited by protein A of Staphylococcus aureus, and by K562 cells in cold competition assay. These observations indicate that oligodendrocytes are resistant to NK cells but are susceptible to cytolysis mediated by K cells. This may represent a potentially important immune mechanism in the pathogenesis of MS.