THE SPONTANEOUS CYTOTOXICITY OF RAJI CELLS TO SHEEP RED CELLS DETECTED WITH THE PLAQUE ASSAY
The authors observed that RAJi cells, a lymphocyte cell line of B cell type derived from Burkitt's lymphoma, show cytotoxic effector potential to sheep red blood cells (SRBC) using the plaque forming method. We have studied three Burkitt's lymphoma cell lines, RAJi, EB-3 and P3HRI, and only RAJi cells showed such a cytotoxic effector potential. This cytotoxicity might be considered as the same quality as observed in rat or mouse fibroblasts or P815Y mastocytoma cells which are capable of killing red blood cells but incapable of killing metabolically active nucleated cells. The moieties in cell membranes of RAJi cells, which exist only in RAJi cells but not in P3HRI and EB-3 cells and are capable of killing target SRBC. remain to be clarified.
