Assessment of in vitro lymphokine activated killer (LAK) cell activity against renal cancer cell lines and its suppression by serum factor using crystal violet assay.

Lymphokine activated killer (LAK) cell activity against renal cancer cell lines was assessed in vitro using a crystal violet assay. A standard 4-h 51chromium release assay and a 48-h crystal violet assay showed that both natural killer-susceptible (NC65) and -resistant (ACHN) renal cancer cell lines were sensitive to LAK cells which had been generated by a 3-day incubation of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) with recombinant interleukin 2 (rIL-2). Optimal LAK activity was generated by a 5-day culture of PBMC with 1 U rIL-2/ml. LAK activity was enhanced by the presence of IL-2 in the crystal violet assay system, while it was suppressed by fresh autologous serum. The suppressive effect was found in serum from both normal donors and patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma, suggesting that non-specific suppressive factor(s) affecting LAK cell activity were present in human sera.