Separation of cell-dependent antibody (CDA) and inhibitory antibody by protein-A affinity chromatography and the effect of fractions on antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC).

The nature of cell-dependent antibody (CDA) and the mechanism of inhibition of antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC) were studied in the ADCC assay system in which culture cells of methylcholanthrene-induced rat fibrosarcoma (KMT-50) were used as target cells, xenogeneic antiserum (rabbit anti-KMT-50) as the CDA, and human peripheral blood leucocytes (PBL) as effector cells, respectively. By using protein-A Sepharose CL-4B affinity column chromatography of rabbit anti-KMT-50 serum, CDA was shown to bind protein A. Complement dependent-cytotoxicity (CDC), however, was demonstrated in both the adsorbed fraction (eluate) and the non-adsorbed fraction (effluent) to protein A from the same affinity column chromatography. These data confirmed that CDA was IgG with an intact Fc portion. Inhibition of ADCC occurred by pretreatment of effector cells with rabbit anti-effector (human PBL) serum even with extremely small amounts of antiserum. Such inhibition was demonstrated with the eluate but not with the effluent from protein-A Sepharose CL-4B affinity column chromatography of rabbit anti-effector serum. F(ab')2 fragments of the same eluate (IgG) did not inhibit the ADCC activity. These data showed that the inhibition of ADCC was induced by the blocking of Fc receptors of effector cells with the Fc portions of IgG in anti-effector serum. The data obtained indicate the usefulness of protein A in separation and analysis of CDA and in investigation of the inhibitory mechanisms of ADCC.