Human monocyte mediated cytotoxicity to K-562 cells: a freeze-fracture-, scanning- and thin section electron microscopic study.

The structural features of "natural"human monocyte-mediated cytotoxicity towards K-562 leukemia cells in vitro have been examined. Human monocytes bound K-562 cells firmly and mediated a slow cytolysis of the leukemia cells. Monocyte binding of target cells was shown to be trypsin sensitive. Freeze-fracture and thin section electron microscopy revealed that effector and target cells were separated by a irregular space larger than 20 nm. There was no evidence for the involvement of specialized membrane junctions or organelle transfer between monocytes and target cells. Scanning electron microscopy revealed that K-562 cells bound to monocytes progressively lost their microvilli. This process started in the membrane areas close to the effector-target cell interaction. The results suggest that binding of target cells by monocytes followed by action of short-range soluble cytotoxic mediators may be the mechanism for the monocyte-mediated cytotoxicity towards K-562 cells.