Objective: gamma delta T cells from the peripheral blood of nasopharyngeal carcinoma(NPC) patients were expanded in vitro and their cytotoxic activity to NPC lines was analysed. A role of gamma delta T cell of immune mechanism in development of NPC was discussed.
Method: The solid-phase monoclonal anti-TCR gamma delta McAb was used to expand the gamma delta T cells from peripheral blood of seven patients with NPC and six healthy donors. Then we detected the cytotoxicities of these gamma delta T cell against tumour cell lines including Daudi Burkitt's lymphoma and the cell lines of NPC, CNE1 and CNE2, at different effector:target (E:T) ratio by MTT method. The immunophenotyping of gamma delta T cells was detected by flow cytometry.
Result: gamma delta T cell were obtained with a high purity (> 82%) from healthy individuals and NPC patients in which 90% of expanded cells were V gamma 9/V delta 2 subtype. The results of cytotoxicity assays revealed that activated gamma delta T cells from both healthy donors and patients lysed Daudi, CNE1 and CNE2 cells at similar level(P > 0.05) when E:T ratios increased, the level of cytotoxicity to each of the targets of CNE1 and CNE2 increased. These gamma delta T cells exhibited highest level of cytotoxicity to the Daudi cells in same ration of effector to target cell.
Conclusion: gamma delta T cell of NPC could significantly kill NPC in vitro.