Recently we demonstrated that the nonadherent (to plastic) fraction of human PBMC could be activated by IL-2 to inhibit Cryptococcus neoformans growth. Here we characterize the antifungal effector cells. Depletion by panning of natural killer (NK) (CD16+, CD56+) cells from nylon wool-treated, IL-2-activated PBMC markedly decreased lytic activity against a tumor cell target (K562) but did not af...

To explore the role of the T3, T4, and LFA-1 molecules in high and low "avidity" interactions between SB2-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) clones and their targets, monoclonal antibody-mediated inhibition of cytotoxicity has been studied in experiments that vary the "avidity" of interaction in three different ways. 1) Previous results have been extended with respect to different CTL clones...

The Ca(2+) sensor synaptotagmin (Syt) VII regulates the exocytosis of conventional lysosomes in several cell types. In CTLs, the Ca(2+)-regulated exocytosis of lytic granules/secretory lysosomes is responsible for the perforin/granzyme-mediated lysis of target cells. To investigate the role of Syt VII in CTL effector function, the expression and function of Syt VII were examined in wild-type an...

Natural killer (NK) cells are known to reject MHC-mismatched targets within blood organs, yet their role in peripheral lymphoid tissue remains unresolved. Here we address the capacity of NK cells to migrate within lymph nodes (LN) using two-photon microscopy to characterize cell velocities and interaction dynamics within the native lymphoid-tissue environment. Adoptively transferred unmanipulat...

Haemophilus influenzae, a major cause of meningitis in young children leading to death and other neurological sequelae. The disease leaves 15 to 35% of the survivors with permanent disabilities, such as, mental retardation or deafness. Despite the availability of new and more powerful antibiotics children with Hib meningitis still suffer from high mortality or morbidity. The emergence of multir...

Highly purified (97%-99%) and viable (99%) peripheral blood monocytes obtained by EDTA-reversible adherence to autologous-serum-precoated plastic surfaces could rapidly lyse a variety of tumor cells in a 3-4 hr 51Cr release assay. Using these monocytes as effectors, a short-term agarose/conjugate assay was utilized, permitting us to examine the interaction between fresh human monocytes and neop...