Granulocytes from healthy donors lyse human neuroblastoma cells in the ADCC-reaction using antibody MAb 14.18 directed to ganglioside GD2 present on the surface of most neuroblastoma cells. Addition of catalase, superoxide dismutase and azide do not impair this process. Granulocytes from patients with chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) kill neuroblastoma cells even better than those collected from healthy donors. These results indicate that reactive oxygen intermediates (ROI) are not involved in killing of neuroblastoma cells using MAb 14.18, and that granulocytes from patients with CGD may compensate for defects in generation of reactive oxygen intermediates by more effective oxygen-independent killing mechanisms. One patient with CGD was treated with interferon-gamma. During and after treatment, generation of ROI could not be detected and neuroblastoma cell killing was not significantly altered.