Low dose radiosensitivity of alloimmune cytotoxic T cells.

Low dose radiosensitivity of in vitro generated alloimmune murine cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) was studied. It appears that a subset of CTL exists that can be killed with 10-25 rad of x rays. These radiosensitive CTL are Lyt-1,2+ T lymphocytes. Analyses of cytotoxicity by chromium release assays indicate that the radiosensitive CTL are present in responder spleen cell cultures from all strains of mice tested. The generation of these effector cells is most pronounced in animals of the C57BL background. The mechanism of low dose radiosensitivity appears to be interphase death.