[The anti-tumor efficacy of lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells induced in vitro from peripheral blood lymphocytes of patients with malignant glioma].

We studied whether lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells were capable of being induced in vitro from peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) of patients with malignant glioma, by using recombinant IL-2 (rIL-2). We then investigated whether they possessed anti-tumor efficacy against malignant gliomas (ONS-12, -20, -44). Human LAK cells were generated by placing 5 X 10(6) PBL into each well of 24-well plates (Corning) containing 2 ml of complete medium (CM) with 10 units of rIL-2 (TGP-3, provided by TAKEDA Chemical Industries, Ltd.). The CM consisted of RPMI 1640 with 0.1 mM nonessential amino acids, 1 microM sodium pyruvate, 5 X 10(-5) M 2-mercaptoethanol, 50 micrograms/ml gentamicin sulfate, 0.03% glutamine and 1% heat-inactivated human AB serum. The plates were incubated horizontally at 37 degrees C in a 5% CO2 atmosphere for 72-96 hours. The LAK cells were then harvested, washed three times with Hanks balanced solution, and resuspended in RPMI 1640 with 1% heat-inactivated human AB serum for the in vitro cytotoxicity assays. The anti-tumor cytotoxic activity of LAK cells was estimated in triplicate by 4-hr 51Cr release assays. The cytotoxic activity of the LAK cells against autogeneic ONS-44 glioma cells and PHA blasts was approximately 30% and a few %, respectively. The Natural Killer (NK) activity of the patient with ONS-44 glioma cells was equivalent to that of healthy subject.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)