Potentiation of antibody-dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity by target cell-bound C3b

Antibody-dependent cytolytic effector lymphocytes are known to possess, in part, receptors for activated C3. Employing a model system consisting of ⁵¹Cr-labeled chicken erythrocytes and purified human peripheral lymphocytes, the authors investigated the effect of target cell bound C3b on antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC). At concentrations of anti-target cell antibody too low to cause effective ADCC, target cell bound C3b cooperated with antibody to produce market target cell lysis. In the presence of a 1/6.25 x 10⁶ dilution of anti-chicken erythrocyte rabbit IgG, cell lysis increased from 20% to 65% by the attachment of 18,000 C3b molecules per cell. C3b-dependent enhancement of ADCC was dose dependent. It was augmented by attachment of activated properdin to the C3b-bearing target cells.