Nonspecific cytotoxic effects of antigen-transformed lymphocytes. III. Relationship to specific cytotoxicity.

Human peripheral blood lymphocytes, cultured either with PPD or in one-way mixed leucocyte reactions, develop a nonspecific cytotoxic potential which can be expressed on autologous as well as on unrelated xenogeneic target cells. This nonspecific cytotoxicity develops at an early stage in the mixed leucocyte reaction, before specific cytotoxic effects are demonstrable, and decreases as specific cytotoxicity increases.