EXPRESSION OF CELLULAR EFFECTOR FUNCTIONS AND PRODUCTION OF REACTIVE NITROGEN INTERMEDIATES - A COMPARATIVE-STUDY INCLUDING LYMPHOCYTES-T, T-LIKE CELLS, NEUTROPHIL GRANULOCYTES, AND MONONUCLEAR PHAGOCYTES

The ability of various cell types to secrete reactive nitrogen intermediates (RNI) upon functional activation was comparatively assessed. Neither in T lymphocyte clones mediating MHC class I or class II antigen-restricted killing via α/β T cell receptor (TcR) or MHC-unrestricted killing via γ/δ TcR, nor in peripheral blood mononuclear cells expressing natural killer or lymphokine-activated killer activity, target cell lysis was associated with detectable RNI production. Also, activated neutrophil granulocytes did not secrete RNI. In contrast, bone marrow-derived mononuclear phagocytes, activated to express tumoricidal activity, secreted marked RNI activity. © 1990.