By Northern blot analysis using a cDNA clone of the perforin gene, we studied the levels of perforin mRNA in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 11 cases of granular lymphocyte-proliferative disorders (GLPDs). The granular lymphocytes studied were characterized by morphologic, immunophenotypic, and immunogenotypic analyses. Cytolytic functions of the lymphocytes assayed included nonmajor histocompatibility complex-requiring cytotoxicity, anti-CD3-redirected cytotoxicity, antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity, and lectin- dependent cellular cytotoxicity. The results showed that in lymphocytes with strong cytolytic functions high levels of perforin mRNA existed, whereas in lymphocytes with weak or undetectable levels of cytolytic functions, low levels of perforin mRNA existed. Because the levels of perforin mRNA correlated with those of cytolytic functions, perforin is probably a mediator in cytolytic functions of granular lymphocytes in patients with GLPDs. When the lymphocytes were cultured for 1 day, however, the levels of cytolytic activity were increased, and those of perforin mRNA were decreased. Therefore, we cannot rule out the possibility that factors other than perforin protein are involved in the cytolytic functions of granular lymphocytes.