Effects of cadmium and zinc on spontaneous and antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity.

Various metals, in particular, cadmium, have been found to interfere with a variety of aspects of immune function. Recently, spontaneous cell-mediated cytotoxicity (SCMC) and antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC) have been widely investigated due to their purported role in immune surveillance. Thus, the effects of cadmium on these two processes were examined. The effects of zinc and the combination of these two metals were also investigated. Both cadmium and zinc were found to inhibit SCMC and ADCC in a dose-dependent manner. In combination, the effects of the metal were generally additive.